US Embassy: Georgian elections ‘technically well-administered, but marred by widespread allegations’

The US Embassy to Georgia has shared preliminary findings of OSCE/ODIHR on Georgia’s October 2 municipal elections and said that the race was technically well-administered, but the election  environment was marred by ‘widespread and consistent’ allegations of intimidation, vote-buying, pressure against candidates and voters, pervasive misuse of citizen observers as party representatives, and an uneven playing field, including in the pre-election period.  

 

“While voters were able to cast their votes in a largely calm environment on October 2, the election process is about more than Election Day.  We share ODIHR’s concerns about the polarized media landscape, the significant imbalance of resources and insufficient oversight of campaign finances, the under-representation of women in the campaign, reports of misuse of administrative resources, and pressure against journalists,” said the embassy. 

 

The embassy commended ‘professionalism’ of domestic election observation organizations – in particular, ISFED, GYLA, PMMG, and TI – and their efforts to inform the public with sound, balanced assessments and reliable information throughout the campaign period and on Election Day.  

 

The statement said that the ‘continued blurring’ of the line between state and party resources is ‘deeply disturbing’ and stated it was regrettable that parties were more focused on attacks than focusing on the voters’ interests. 

 

The embassy called on parliament, including opposition parties, to recommit in good faith to strengthening Georgia’s election system in a comprehensive manner; to implement key reforms – including judicial reforms – recommended by ODIHR, the Venice Commission, and Georgia’s international partners; and to pass constitutional amendments ensuring that all future parliamentary elections will be fully proportional, as they have previously pledged to do.