European Parliament will not send election observers to Georgia due to pandemic

The European Parliament will not send an election observation mission to Georgia for the October 31 parliamentary elections due to the pandemic. 

The European Parliament has paused various of its external activities due to the pandemic, including sending observation missions.

Georgia requested the presence of EaP observers in September, promising their safety would be ensured.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze said at the end of August that the Georgian government was ready to charter flights to bring in international observers for the elections.

• OSCE/ODIHR to send 378 observers to monitor Georgian parliamentary elections
• Ruling party MP: int’l observers will be able to come to Georgia for elections, despite travel limitations

The upcoming elections will be held in a different manner – 120 seats in parliament will be distributed based on the votes received in proportional elections, while remaining 30 per the votes received in majoritarian elections.

• Germany to send 37 observers in the coming days to monitor Georgian parliamentary elections

Previously 77 seats in its 150-member parliament were allocated proportionally, under the party-list system, while the remaining 73 MPs were  elected in 73 single-mandate constituencies.