Ruling party head Ivanishvili discusses pre-election environment online with NDI president, senior officials
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The head and the founder of the Georgian Dream ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili has held an online meeting with NDI President Derek Mitchell and other senior officials of the American non-profit organisation to discuss the pre-election environment in Georgia ahead of the October parliamentary elections.
The NDI is meeting with the ruling party, the opposition, Georgian NGOs and media representatives before releasing its short report on the pre-election environment in Georgia.
Patrick Merloe, a senior associate and director for NDI election programmes, Laura Jewett, NDI’s regional director for Eurasia and Alan Gillam, the NDI country director for Kyrgyzstan also participated in the online meeting late yesterday.
In January 2020 the ruling party announced ‘deep discussions’ with then-NDI Georgia Director Laura Thornton as ‘there are questions regarding their polls which remain unanswered.’
The statement came after the polls released by NDI which showed ‘declined trust in the current Georgian government and state institutions.’
Ruling party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze named CRRC Georgia, which technically carries out NDIs polls in Georgia, as a possible reason as to why the 'polls are biased.’
A bill has been registered in parliament per the agreement of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the opposition on March 8.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has nominated all 30 of its majoritarian candidates for the upcoming October parliamentary elections, both for the eight constituencies of the capital Tbilisi and the regions. The elections in the autumn will be held in a different manner, with 120 MPs elected per the party-list based electoral system and the remaining 30 per the majoritarian electoral model. Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that the elections will be held ‘in full line with democratic standards and Georgian Dream will celebrate a victory in a fair fight.’
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that in the coming days they will have ‘deep discussions’ with NDI Georgia Director Laura Thornton as ‘there are questions regarding their polls which remain unanswered.’
US says National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI), other non-partisan organisations help strengthen Georgian democracy.
Head of the government administration Natia Mezvrishvili told the President of the National Democratic Institute Derek Mitchell that the safety of voters as well as international observers will be ensured at the upcoming parliamentary elections in Georgia amid the coronavirus pandemic.