US Senators Risch, Shaheen on Georgian elections: it’s important all parties respect int’l standards for free, fair electrons
The US senators said that Georgia has many international supporters and is vital to the region.
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US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch and Senator Jeanne Shaheen have made a joint statement ahead of the October 31 parliamentary elections in Georgia, noting the importance for all political parties in the country to respect and abide by international standards for a free and fair electoral process.
Since we travelled together to observe Georgia’s 2012 parliamentary elections, we have watched democracy deepen and the economy grow. As Georgians prepare to vote in this weekend’s parliamentary elections, it is important that all parties respect and abide by international standards for a free and fair electoral process, and maintain the integrity of the ballot box”, said the senators.
They stated that the constitutional reforms made earlier this year to the electoral system ‘were an important step forward in strengthening Georgia’s democratic legitimacy’.
As Georgians prepare to vote in this weekend’s parliamentary elections, it's important all parties respect & abide by int’l standards for a free & fair electoral process. @SenatorShaheen & I continue to support the people of #Georgia as friends & partners. https://t.co/EXT6uBXpsm
— U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SenateForeign) October 29, 2020
The good conduct of these upcoming elections will further consolidate those gains and demonstrate the Georgian people’s continued desire to pursue Euro-Atlantic integration,” they stated.
The senators said that despite the pandemic a large number of international observers will be present in Georgia for the elections.
To that end, it is imperative that the Russian Federation not interfere in Georgia’s elections. An independent and democratic Georgia has many international supporters and is vital to the region. We continue to support the Georgian people as friends and partners, and wish them a free, fair, and credible election,” said the senators.
On Saturday Georgians will elect the country’s 10th national legislature since independence from the Soviet Union back in 1991.
The European Union has announced today the deployment of a European diplomatic watch, which will send over 70 teams to visit over 1,000 polling stations in Georgia on the election day on October 31. Travelling in specially EU marked cars and wearing EU vests and hats, the diplomatic watch teams will follow all relevant COVID-19 safety precautions.
The ruling Georgian Dream party would receive 56% of votes if elections were held today, Imedi TV commissioned poll says. The poll, carried out by US-based Public Opinion Strategies, is based on 1,518 interviews conducted by Gorbi between October 9 and October 20.
A nine-member delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will travel to Georgia from 29 October to 1 November to observe the conduct of the parliamentary elections.
Mobile police groups have been created in every region of Georgia in order to ensure a free, secure and peaceful environment on election day on October 31. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) says that if necessary, the mobile groups are obliged to instantly react to offences during the elections.
A day before the parliamentary elections Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has urged people to make their choice at ballot boxes as the elections will define the country’s development for years to come. He stated that Georgia is able to show the world how to hold ‘exemplary elections’ despite the pandemic. "I will say once again. The pandemic will be over, we will also cope with the economic crisis. However, the elections which will be held tomorrow will define the country’s fate for years. That is why I urge our citizens to vote,” Gakharia said.
On election day the European diplomatic watch will assemble no less than 70 teams and visit some 1000 polling stations on election day throughout the country, said EU ambassador Carl Hartzell.
10,845 people in self-isolation or coronavirus hospitals are registered to vote in tomorrow’s elections.
Opposition political parties have agreed not to form a coalition government with the ruling Georgian Dream party after the parliamentary elections tomorrow if the ruling party receives less than 40 per cent of votes in the proportional elections. Per the constitutional amendments earlier this year none of parties will be able to form the government alone if they receive less than 40 per cent of votes in the proportional elections.
Georgians are heading to the polls today to elect the country’s 10th national legislature since independence from the Soviet Union back in 1991. For the first time, the elections will be held per a mixed electoral system, with 120 members of parliament (MP) to be elected via party lists and the remaining 30 running in single-member majoritarian districts.An election bloc or party which receives less than 40.54 per cent of votes (less than 76 seats in the 150-member parliament) in the proportional elections will not be able to form a government.
EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell has expressed his hope that the voting process today in the parliamentary elections will be free from violations and intimidation, noting that this is the responsibility of all parties.
Georgia is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on Saturday, amid the coronavirus pandemic, with citizens going to the polls to elect the country’s 10th national legislature since independence from the Soviet Union back in 1991. For the first time, the elections will be held per a mixed electoral system, with 120 members of parliament (MP) to be elected via party lists and the remaining 30 running in single-member majoritarian districts.
Jeanne Shaheen, a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is ‘surprised and disappointed’ that all parties in Georgia ‘have allowed the current crisis to last so long’.
US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Rob Portman, who arrived in Georgia late yesterday, visited the occupation line near the village of Zemo Nikozi earlier today which separates the country’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region from the rest of Georgia. The European Union Monitoring Mission accompanied the senators at the scene and briefed them about the situation on the ground.