MEP Kaljurand calls on all political parties, candidates to participate in 2nd round of elections, take up MP mandates
Claiming the recent parliamentary elections were falsified, eight opposition parties, which overcame the mandatory 1% threshold for the parliamentary seats, refuse to take up their mandates demanding repeat parliamentary elections be held. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Marina Kaljurand, Chair of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with the South Caucasus calls on all political parties and candidates to participate in the second round of the November 21 parliamentary elections and take up their mandates ‘in order to honour the democratically expressed will of Georgian citizens’.
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She further welcomed the ongoing dialogue between the ruling party and opposition under the aegis of the European Union and United States Ambassadors ‘with a view to defusing tensions’.
I am deeply convinced that Euro-Atlantic cooperation provides a path to stability and I look forward to further cooperating with the newly elected Parliament of Georgia”, she stated yesterday.
MEP Kaljurand also noted that ‘these elections were competitive, well-administered despite a difficult epidemiological situation and that fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of expression, were respected overall, notwithstanding some remaining shortcomings that need to be addressed’.
I call on all political parties and candidates to participate in the second round of the elections and take up their mandates in the Parliament in order to honour the democratically expressed will of the???????? citizens. #southcaucasus #ElectionsinGeorgia https://t.co/2bpzRtQgBg pic.twitter.com/HRkiT9geo2
— Marina Kaljurand MEP (@MarinaKaljurand) November 18, 2020
Kaljurand also said that ‘all substantiated appeals and complaints that have been lodged with the election commission must be addressed ‘in a fair, thorough and rigorous manner, in accordance with the law and the highest democratic standards’.
Much to my regret, some opposition parties that are disappointed with the outcome of the first round have announced their intention to boycott the second round of elections and to renounce their seats in the parliament once it is in session, Marina Kaljurand said.
She however added that ‘this deliberate attempt to impede the proper functioning of an institution vital for democracy is unfortunate’.
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Calling recent parliamentary elections were falsified, eight opposition parties, which overcame the mandatory 1% threshold for the parliamentary seats refuse to take up their mandates demanding repeat parliamentary elections be held.
The US Department of State has released a long statement by its two senior officials (who have not been identified) earlier today, following the visit of US state Secretary Mike Pompeo to Georgia.
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) leaders say that following the October 31 parliamentary elections political actors in Georgia should resolve the political deadlock and participate in the work of the new parliament in order to ensure that the voters’ will is respected.
The International Republican Institute (IRI) said in its interim report that the ‘significant constitutional and election reforms’ adopted by the Georgian government earlier this year aimed at encouraging multiparty democracy and coalition rule, ‘were affected by credible reports of irregularities in the campaign period and on Election Day’.
MEPs on EU-Georgia relations from the European Parliament have congratulated Georgia, 'a key ally of the EU', on 'successfully' organising the first round of the parliamentary elections held on October 31 in Georgia despite ‘the difficult epidemiological context'.
The eight opposition parties who entered parliament following the October 31 parliamentary elections still remain united in that they will not participate in the second round of elections in 17 election constituencies tomorrow and will not take up their mandates in parliament. However, the opposition parties stated earlier today that ‘no rallies’ will be held tomorrow.
Election run-offs are held in 17 election constituencies in Georgia today, as well as a snap election of Kutaisi mayor. The second-round of elections are conducted as none of majoritarian candidates in the 17 constituencies and for Kutaisi mayor were able to receive at least 51 per cent of votes in the first round of elections on October 31. All polling stations were opened at 8 a.m. around the country except two polling stations in Gudauri and one polling station in Shatili due to bad weather.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who has cast his vote in the election run-offs earlier today, has stated that the government and the opposition must learn to work together to benefit the country.