President Zurabishvili: despite polarised environment, local elections were calm, fair
Salome Zurabishvili said that the voter turnout as well as the assessments of international observers are very important indicators for the October 2 elections. Photo: Georgian President's Facebook/Archive
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Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili says that the local elections in Georgia were ‘calm, fair, secure, and competitive’ without significant violations despite the difficult political and electoral environment.
The Georgian President said that 'today is another step towards democracy and stabilisation ' because although 'a lot of forces fought against it, we managed to deal'.
The Georgian people showed by their participation in yesterday's elections that their choice is peace, stability, and not unrest, not confrontation, not violence and polarisation. If there is a need for change, this path is precisely for it - the path of elections. Voters made it clear to everyone”, she added.
Salome Zurabishvili further noted that these elections are proof that the citizens of Georgia ‘want to continue the political life and governance of the country in a calm, work-oriented environment’.
It would be desirable for smaller parties to be given more chances, more resources, more means, because defeating depolarization down the line will be possible only with small parties, with third forces”, the President said.
As a female president Zurabishvili said she wished to see more women in these elections, because ‘we know how involved women are in the local economy and how important their initiatives are’.
Unfortunately, not enough women were nominated in party lists or as mayoral candidates and I wish to see this change in the next elections. I am sure it is the wish of all of us, of all citizens. I would like to congratulate all the women who have achieved success, if not victory, and wish them all to continue on this path”, Salome Zurabishvili said.
Saying that it is unfortunate that ‘the main topic of these local elections was not centered on local issues’, President Zurabishvili hoped the local issues will be raised more in the runoffs as the ‘voters decide their local future in these elections’.
The OSCE/ODIHR mission, which has monitored the October 2 municipal elections in Georgia, says that the elections ‘were generally well-administered but held against the backdrop of a protracted political crisis and characterised by hardened polarisation.’
The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) has released the results of a parallel vote tabulation (PVT) of the proportional elections for Tbilisi and regional cities, which says that the ruling Georgian Dream party received 46.6% of the vote, while the United National Movement received 31.1% of the vote.
A second round of mayoral elections are expected in all five big cities of Georgia, including Tbilisi, as none of the candidates received at least 50% + 1 of the vote.Municipal elections are held in Georgia per a mixed electoral system. Voters have to fill three ballot papers: the first ballot paper is for mayoral candidates (which are elected per a 50%+1 system). The winner is the candidate who will receive at least 50%+1 of the vote, otherwise a second round of elections will be held).
Incumbent Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze says that he expected victory in the first round of yesterday’s municipal elections, but says he is sure he will be victorious in the second round.
Georgian law enforcers have detained seven individuals for administrative offences and have launched investigations on 16 criminal cases which took place during municipal elections on October 2.
The Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, which observed the recent municipal elections in Georgia between September 29 and October 3, says that the election day on October 2 was ‘overall calm, orderly, transparent and well organised without major shortcomings.’
US Senator Jim Risch says that he is disappointed by the October 2 municipal elections in Georgia. He said that he is ‘troubled by extensive reports’ of intimidation and vote-buying.
The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) says that the October 2 municipal elections in Georgia have been held in line with democratic standards and that they have taken all measures to prevent imbalances between ballots cast and signatures of registered voters.
The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) has recounted votes in 812 of 3,664 district election commissions following the October 2 municipal elections because of complaints and according to recent legal changes which oblige the CEC to recount a certain number of votes to recheck their validity.