"Georgian Dream" brought the country into an internal political crisis due to maintaining power; deepened the risks of isolation of the country from the democratic world; They put the future of peaceful, safe, European and democratic development of Georgia in great danger, - the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Mikheil Janelidze, writes about this on Facebook.
As the former head of the Foreign Ministry points out, even according to CEC data, in Tbilisi, where almost half of Georgia's population lives, "Georgian Dream" received 42%, "that is, it is in the minority".
"Local monitoring organizations, the President of Georgia and the opposition parties claim that there were systematic violations during the elections and they do not recognize the results.
The main international observation mission, OSCE/ODIHR, in its interim report, which was prepared before the end of the election process, wrote only one positive assessment: "The election preparations were well administered, including intensive information of voters regarding new technologies."
and 10 negative ones. He says the following:
Although the October 26 parliamentary elections offered voters a wide choice of 18 candidates, polling day took place against a backdrop of entrenched polarization, marred by growing concerns over the recent law and its impact on fundamental freedoms and civil society;Electoral entities were generally able to campaign freely, while campaign rhetoric and visuals exacerbated divisions;
Reports of pressure from voters, especially public sector employees, did not decrease throughout the pre-election period;
This, along with intensive voter registration on polling day, raised concerns among some voters that they would not be able to vote without fear of retribution;
The legal framework provides an adequate framework for holding democratic elections, but recent frequent legislative changes have been a step backwards, raising concerns about the potential use of legislation for political gain;
A significant disparity in financial resources and undue incumbency made an already unequal playing field even more unequal;
A polarized media environment and the instrumentalization of private media outlets for political propaganda had a negative impact on news coverage, preventing voters from making informed choices;
The effectiveness of campaign finance oversight has been undermined by limited enforcement and concerns about the oversight body's impartiality and political instrumentalization;
The lack of representation of women in the lists of political parties and in the pre-election campaign clearly shows the need to take an intensive commitment to the adequate involvement of women in political life;
Election Day was generally procedurally well organized and orderly, but was characterized by tensions, frequent compromises of voting secrecy and several cases of inconsistent procedures, as well as reports of voter intimidation and pressure, which had a negative impact on public confidence in the process.
However, the OSCE/ODIHR interim report states that the final assessment of the election will depend in part on the remaining stages of the election process, including vote counting, tallying and announcement of results, as well as consideration of pending complaints and lawsuits after election day.
The European Union and the United States call on the Central Election Commission and other relevant bodies to quickly and independently investigate and investigate election violations and allegations.
It is a fact that "Georgian Dream", due to maintaining power:
- brought the country into an internal political crisis;
- deepened the risks of isolation of the country from the democratic world;
- He put the future of peaceful, safe, European and democratic development of Georgia in great danger," Janelidze said.
