Georgian PM to NDI head Madeleine Albright: gov’t wants many int’l observers for elections
NDI chair Madeleine Albright has stated that NDI long-term election observers will visit Georgia.
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has held an online call with head of National Democratic Institute (NDI) Madeleine Albright, where he stated that the Georgian government is eager to receive many international observers for the October 2 municipal elections.
It is important to ensure maximal representation of international organisations for the upcoming municipal elections, so that no questions remain unanswered,” Garibashvili said.
He thanked Albright for delegating observers for the 2020 parliamentary elections despite the pandemic, stating that the Georgian authorities ‘are committed to holding peaceful and transparent elections this year.’
Albright thanked Garibashvili for the Georgian assistance in the recent evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan.
She said that NDI long-term observers will visit Georgia in the run-up to the elections to work on election-related issues on the ground.
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has launched its long-term election observation mission in Georgia for the October 2 municipal elections.
Leader of the opposition Strategy Aghmashenebeli party Giorgi Vashadze has presented a new political platform, Third Force, which unites members of several other opposition political parties ahead of the October 2 municipal elections. Opposition party Strategy Aghmashenebeli, which received four of 60 opposition seats in the parliamentary elections 2020, will participate in the upcoming elections on behalf of the Third Force.
Former head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Grigol Vashadze has joined Giorgi Vashadze’s Strategy Aghmashebeli ahead of the October 2 municipal elections.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says that their candidate for Tbilisi mayor, incumbent Kakha Kaladze, will receive 60.1% in the October 2 local elections. Per GD’s poll, the head of the United National Movement (UNM) Nika Melia, who is the joint candidate of the opposition parties for Tbilisi mayor, will receive 29.2% in self-government elections.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that 15 of 62 local observation organisations which have registered to monitor the October 2 municipal elections are affiliated with the opposition.
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has offered recommendations ahead of the October 2 municipal elections to ‘help the country’ maintain its 30-year progress and leadership in the region for its commitment to Euro-Atlantic values.
The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) has stated that some political parties ‘are exercising unprecedented pressure’ on its members which ‘disrupts the activities’ of the district election commissions and ‘poses threats’ to the general election environment ahead of the October 2 municipal elections.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia responded to the non-profit organisation Civil Election Commission’s statement that 683 dead individuals are in electoral voters’ lists in 25 Georgian municipalities and called it ‘disinformation and attempt to mislead citizens.’ The CEC representative Tornike Gigisvanidze stated that it is impossible for an individual to vote instead of a deceased person ‘as the voter is obliged to present the ID (identification document) card at the polling station.’
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili attended the funeral of Madeleine Albright, the former US Secretary of State, on Wednesday in Washington, DC.