New legislation, e-voting, “extensive monitoring” will ensure holding elections in “free, fair environment” - PM
He added that e-voting would practically exclude any kind of manipulation of procedural issues in the elections. Photo via Government Administration
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday said new electoral legislation, electronic voting and “extensive monitoring” would ensure holding the upcoming parliamentary elections in “a free and fair environment”.
In his comments to the media, Kobakhidze noted he had discussed the upcoming elections and important reforms in this regard with Josep Borrell, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Olivér Várhelyi, the bloc’s Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, in Brussels.
The PM stressed the Government would “do everything” to guarantee the appropriate environment for the elections, emphasising that the international observers, including the OSCE/ODIHR, the European Council and the European Parliament, would be involved in the process.
He added that e-voting would practically exclude any kind of manipulation of procedural issues in the elections.
The Georgian Central Election Commission on Thursday said it welcomed the involvement of international observer organisations in the general elections set for October in the country.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry on Monday addressed Matteo Mecacci, the Director of the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, with an invitation to send observers for the general elections in the country, set for October.
Josep Borrell, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Tuesday said this year and the upcoming parliamentary elections would be an “important test” for Georgia’s democracy.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the candidate for the post of the Prime Minister of Georgia, on Wednesday told the opposition factions in the Parliament, as part of the presentation of his Government programme, that the Government would ensure the creation of a “proper environment” for the upcoming elections.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday reviewed the pre-election environment in the country with the International Pre-election Assessment Mission of the United States-based National Democratic Institute.
Peter Fischer, the German Ambassador to Georgia, on Friday said he hoped and believed Georgia would hold free, fair and competitive parliamentary elections in 2024.
Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, said the bloc was “very pleased” that the Georgian Government had invited the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to observe the upcoming parliamentary elections in the country.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday warned against attempts of “illegal” change of the Government and interference in the parliamentary elections in October.
Irakli Garibashvili, the new Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the former Prime Minister of Georgia, on Saturday said the GD party “must win” the upcoming parliamentary elections “strongly and convincingly”, and noted his party’s goal was to secure a constitutional majority.