IRI: ‘Parliamentary Elections reflected will of Georgian voters’
Tweet 
Share
International Republican Institute (IRI) says yesterday's Parliamentary Elections in Georgia was carried out in peaceful environment and reflected the will of the Georgian voters.
Today the IRI president Mark Green presented the organisation's report assessing the October 8 elections. The report said the elections were "well administrated”.
Taking into account the internal political tensions and constant pressure outside the country, we welcome Georgia’s participation at the elections as a voter, as candidates, as representatives of political parties and as election officials.
We hope such attitudes and involvement will remained in the coming weeks,” said Green.
The IRI report, which was based on 20 groups of observers, said in most cases the elections were well-organised but it offered some advice to improve "some issues”.
Despite the fact October 8 was the primary and most important [part] of this election, we consider more active steps should be made forwards for carrying out the whole electoral process. We hope voters and political leaders will keep continue working peacefully for developing a democratic country,” Green said.
Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has counted 82.55 percent of all votes countrywide. For the majoritarian results, it is believed a second round of vote will be needed at 50 of 73 districts countrywide.
International observers are positively assessing Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections, saying it was "free” and "fair”.
The election environment in Georgia, throughout the pre-election campaign and on Election Day itself, was generally peaceful and constructive, says the country's President Giorgi Margvelashvili.
International observers monitoring yesterday's Parliamentary Elections in Georgia will present their preliminary post-election findings this afternoon in capital Tbilisi.
The October 8 Parliamentary Elections in Georgia were competitive, well-administered and fundamental freedoms were generally respected, says the OSCE election observer mission.
Following a vibrant and competitive campaign, citizens of Georgia were able to cast their votes freely and, in most places, vote counting happened in a calm and orderly manner, says a leading international observer mission.
Third party 0.01% away from threshold for entering Parliament
Georgia’s Central Election Commission has counted 99.41 percent of all votes countrywide. Latest preliminary results showed two leading parties, but a third party is only 0.01% away from overcoming the five percent threshold for entering Parliament.
Two European Union (EU) top officials say the 2016 Parliamentary Elections in Georgia were "competitive, well-administered and fundamental freedoms were generally respected”.
Monitoring groups and thousands of international observers have confirmed the October 8 Parliamentary Elections in Georgia expressed the will of the Georgian people and reaffirmed the country's democratic credentials.
The current Speaker of Georgia’s Parliament and leader of opposition Republican Party, David Usupashvili, says no one should question the legitimacy of the election results.
The European Union (EU) welcomed the October 8 Parliamentary Elections in Georgia, saying they held in a "generally peaceful and orderly way.”
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) will honor Tamar Zhvania, chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia, with its 2017 Joe C. Baxter Award.
The President of the International Republican Institute (IRI) Daniel Twining recommends political powers in Georgia to start preparing for the 2020 parliamentary elections instead of organising protest rallies.