IFES: Georgian elections “another significant step toward competitive politics”

The US-based International Foundation for Electoral Systems issued a guide to the Georgian presidential elections. According to the report, which provides a detailed account of the electoral procedure, "this election is another significant step toward the normalization of inclusive, competitive politics [in Georgia]. It finds that "public confidence in the conduct of the presidential election is up 77 percent.

The report also notes that the opposition UNM candidate benefits from a "strong personal appeal, while Georgian Dream is moving away from personality politics in favour of party politics with the choice their candidate, referring also to PM Ivanishvilis announcement of "his intention to step down after the presidential election to support civil society and to wean Georgia off of its messiah complex.

With regards to the pre-electoral environment, the IFES finds that there has been in particular "noticeable progress in the media, adding that "monitoring groups have stated that coverage is politically-balanced on most TV channels.