Georgian PM dismisses declaration issued by group of PACE's MPs as having "no value"

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday said the declaration issued by 24 MPs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Elections in Georgia - Alarming developments claiming the country’s Central Election Commission recently has been brought “under the control” of the ruling Georgian Dream party”, had no “value”.

Kobakhidze emphasised the declaration of 24 MPs, which was issued earlier today, was “full of lies”. 

“There are only three weeks left before the [parliamentary] elections [scheduled for October 26], and the pre-election process is taking place in an unprecedentedly calm environment", he added.

The declaration also stated there were “alarming reports coming from Georgia which seem to indicate that the ruling party is preparing to steal the upcoming parliamentary elections.  The document added that in such a pre-electoral environment it was “very difficult to hold free and fair elections”, urging the Georgian authorities to “stop acting in an anti-democratic way and reverse course”.