MEPs to observe municipal election run-offs in Georgia
MEPs will observe the municipal election run-offs in Georgia on October 30. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Chairwoman of the Georgian Parliament’s EU integration committee, Maka Bochorishvili, says MEPs will observe the municipal election run-offs in Georgia on October 30.
Bochorishvili, from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, stated earlier today that MEPs are expecting the run-offs to proceed ‘according to international standards.’
MEPs Marina Kaljurand, Sven Mikser and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, who observed the first round of 2021 municipal elections in Georgia, have stated that the country held ‘well-organised local elections despite the extremely polarized political environment.'
A total of 1,024 foreign observers from 52 international organisations monitored the first round of self-government elections in Georgia on October 2, including EP, OSCE/ODIHR and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.
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.’
MEPs Marina Kaljurand, Sven Mikser and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, who observed the October 2 local municipal elections in Georgia, have stated that the country held a competitive and well-organised first round of local elections ‘despite the extremely polarised political environment and challenging epidemiological situation.’
The European People’s Party (EPP), which is the largest group in the European Parliament, calls on the Georgian government ‘to improve the political environment’ as well as to guarantee free and fair elections in the second round of the municipal elections and ‘to stop the persecution of political opponents’.
The EU and US embassies have assessed the October 2 municipal elections in Georgia and stated that the race was generally well administered, but was characterised by ‘hardened polarisation.’ They agreed with the preliminary findings of the OSCE/ODIHR and said that the contestants were able to campaign freely in a competitive environment, and that the election day proceeded in an orderly and transparent manner.
Political movement Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria and leader of the opposition Lelo for Georgia party Mamuka Khazaradze have signed a coalition cooperation document earlier today ahead of municipal election run-offs slated for October 30.
The European Parliament (EP) will send one more mission to Georgia for observing municipal election run-offs in the country on October 30, EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has announced. Ambassador Hartzell stated that four more MEPs will monitor the second round of local elections in Georgia, together with OSCE/ODIHR.
The second round of municipal elections will take place in Georgia tomorrow, including in all big cities of the country, amid a polarized political environment and continued rivalry between the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the main opposition, the United National Movement. The GD claims they will ‘finally defeat and end the UNM’ in the race, describing it ‘as an evil force’ which has been hampering development for 18 years, while the UNM still hopes the run-offs will lead to snap parliamentary elections ‘and the changing of the GD government.’