NATO ex-Sec-Gen Rasmussen: Russia will target Georgian elections
Former Secretary General of NATO Anders Fog Rasmussen has urged Georgian political parties to join the Pledge for Election Integrity in Georgia initiative. Photo: NATO.
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Former Secretary General of NATO Anders Fog Rasmussen says that Russia is likely to target the upcoming October 31 parliamentary elections in Georgia.
He made the statement during the online launch of the Pledge for Election Integrity in Georgia late yesterday, an initiative of the Transatlantic Commission.
LIVE: @AndersFoghR: “To organize free and fair elections- that is the prerequisite for joining NATO. This will not be judged upon the degree of foreign interference but the will of Georgia to counter foreign interference." #DefendDemocracy
— Alliance of Democracies (@AoDemocracies) September 30, 2020
Through joining the initiative the candidates pledge not to aid and abet foreign powers to meddle in Georgia's democratic process.
Rasmussen said that the future of Georgia should be decided by Georgians and not by the Kremlin, Europe or America.
However, he said that many recent reports have proven that Russia is trying to interfere with Georgia’s democratic development.
He stated that Russia has made a scheme which is a combination of disinformation, illegal, financial activities and cyber attacks.
Rasmussen says that the pledge for the elections, which is a global standard for fair and transparent elections, will help Georgia prevent election-related foreign threats.
He urged the Georgian political parties to sign the pledge.
LIVE: Pledge for Election Integrity ???????? - press conf @AndersFoghR "Georgia’s democracy needs to be defended by Georgian democrats! So, my message to Georgian parties and candidates is equally simple: sign up to the #electionpledge!" #TCEI https://t.co/hYMBsbPvrq @AoDemocracies
— Olaf Boehnke (@politixs) September 30, 2020
The Georgian Dream ruling party, European Georgia, Strategy Agmashenebeli, United Georgia and Lelo have already joined the pledge.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze, who participated in the video conference, stated that Russia is unable to define Georgia’s future.
LIVE: @A_Talakvadze: "Russia cannot define our future. We will define our future." We are pleased to have you sign the Pledge for Election Integrity and #DefendDemocracy!
— Alliance of Democracies (@AoDemocracies) September 30, 2020
Along with Rasmussen and Talakvadze, former president of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves and former Finance Minister of Ukraine Natalie Jeresko also participated in the video conference organised by Alliance for Democracies.
Election polls commissioned by the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi say the ruling Georgian Dream party will receive 25 per cent of votes in the upcoming October 31 parliamentary elections.
Central Election Commission (CEC) head Tamar Zhvania spoke to Rustavi 2 about how the vote in the parliamentary elections on October 31 will take place given the coronavirus.
The poll, which was conducted throughout the country (except for the two Russia-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali) between August 25 and September 7, says that 23 per cent of the 2,850 people surveyed has not decided yet who they will vote for if elections were held today.
A total of 66 political parties have registered to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Georgia on October 31. The Central Election Commission also stated that now the registered parties must provide their party lists and majoritarian candidates no later than October 1.
Former Secretary General of NATO Anders Fog Rasmussen says that Georgia has already fulfilled the criteria for NATO membership.