Parliament Speaker calls on country’s partners to “refrain from interfering” in election campaign

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday called on the country’s partners to “refrain from interfering’ in the ongoing election campaign ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.

In his address, Papuashvili claimed “foreign propaganda” could not be “considered a prerequisite for a free election environment”.

“As we enter the final stage of the pre-election period, it is becoming increasingly clear that the opposition is facing a historic defeat. It is already clear to the public that the election campaign conducted by the opposition is completely devoid of ideas, let alone plans”, he alleged.

“The opposition's campaign is built only on controversy, negativity and the language of contempt, which has been the reason for their electoral defeat many times over the past 12 years”, the Speaker said.

He further alleged that “as the inability of the domestic opposition is becoming clearer, the frequency and intensity of external interference” in the election process was increasing.

The intensity and timing of the statements and actions of foreigners creates a strong feeling that the purpose of this propaganda coming from outside is to create an agenda for the opposition, which is happening. [...] As a result, during the pre-election period, the Georgian media is busy circulating opinions from abroad, which makes the election environment unequal and only negatively affects its democracy and fairness”, Papuashvili continued.

The official further questioned whether the “large-scale interference” in the election process from abroad was a “deliberate attempt to influence the political choices of citizens and manipulate the outcome of the election”.

Interference in the domestic politics of another country, especially in elections, contradicts our common democratic values ​​and the principle of respect for the sovereignty of the state. The principle of non-interference is a cornerstone of the rules-based international order, which is clearly enshrined in the United Nations Charter. This principle emphasises the sovereign equality of all states and their right to conduct their affairs without external interference”, Papuashvili noted.

He stressed the principle was reinforced by a number of UN declarations, according to which “no state or group of states are entitled to interfere, directly or indirectly, for any reason, in the internal or external affairs of any other state”.

Electing a Government is the people's privilege, not the right and duty of foreign citizens, even if they are partners. Such interference affects the holding of elections under fair and equal conditions, in order to give people the opportunity to make choices in a free, equal and fair environment. In light of the challenges that the rules-based international order faces today, it is important that representatives of the West demonstrate their commitment to these values ​​not only in words, but also in deeds”, the Speaker said.

Papuashvili urged foreign partners to refrain from the alleged involvement so that “the people of Georgia can vote for the political force they deem necessary with their own views, beliefs and opinions, without interference from the outside”.