ICC Georgia expresses profound concern regarding the conduct of the Georgian Parliamentary elections held on October 26, 2024. Reports of massive, systemic irregularities during the electoral process, including before election date, have raised significant alarm among the business community.
“The integrity of democratic processes is fundamental to Georgia’s commitment to the principles enshrined in Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution, which underscores Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic course. We vehemently condemn any deviation from this path towards a stance aligned with Russia”, ICC Georgia stated in its statemente.
ICC Georgia fully endorses the position taken by the President of Georgia, who has voiced similar concerns regarding these elections, deeming them illegitimate and calling for adherence to democratic norms and transparency. We urge all political stakeholders, both locally and internationally, to firmly uphold democratic principles, ensuring that the will of the Georgian people is respected and protected.
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As an active participant in fostering Georgia’s economic and political integration with Europe, ICC Georgia emphasizes maintaining this trajectory for the prosperity and development of our nation. We call upon relevant authorities to respect the will of most Georgian people and immediately organize snap elections conducted by neutral international bodies so that their will is expressed freely and legitimately.
ICC Georgia also calls on other business organizations in the country to express their condemnation of these anti-democratic elections and any deviation from our European path as enshrined in the Georgian Constitution.
ICC Georgia is one of the most outspoken and representative business organizations in our country, actively participating in fostering a transparent and legitimate business environment. We remain strongly committed to supporting Georgia’s integration into both the European Union and global marketplaces.
Russian “methodology and the support of most probably Russian FSB [Federal Security Service] types is shown in this election,” Georgian President Salome Zourabishvili told
“On election day, the intimidation and harassment of voters was systematic both inside and outside polling stations, creating an atmosphere of fear,” said John Shimkus, The International Republican Institute’s (IRI) International Election Observation Mission (IEOM). “The government needs to take dramatic action to ensure public trust in the political process.”
The IRI mission is led by IRI President Daniel Twining, former U.S. Representative John Shimkus, and Swedish Member of Parliament Margareta Cederfelt. These teams were supported by a core group of thematic experts who have been analyzing the pre-election environment for months and observing the election day process.
“The government’s continued harassment and intimidation of voters and civil society not only during the election period, but well before it, has threatened Georgia’s democratic underpinnings,” said Cederfelt. “In the aftermath of this election, I fear that the deep distrust between the established political elite and the public will have lasting implications.”
Should relations between Georgia and the West continue to deteriorate — and if other regional players such as Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Iran oppose greater Western engagement — this could complicate Armenia’s cooperation with the West and force Yerevan to adjust its foreign policy.
Benyamin Poghosyan, chairman of the Center for Political and Economic Strategic Studies in Yerevan
Key Findings – IRI released the following seven key findings in its preliminary report:
- Intimidation and harassment of voters was systematic both inside and outside polling stations not only on election day, but in the pre-election period as well.
- Enactment of the Law on Transparency and Foreign Influence undermined freedoms of association and expression.
- Pervasive intimidation and pressure on public sector employees and social-service benefits recipients was evident.
- Concerns of political bias and imbalance within election commissions were raised.
- The current legal and regulatory landscape created an uneven electoral playing field that poses a significant structural barrier to genuinely competitive elections.
- The investigation and adjudication of election-related complaints is insufficient, ineffective and lacks meaningful remedies.
- Citizen trust in the independence and impartiality of the Central Election Commission (CEC) is low.
Recommendations – In its preliminary report, IRI issued the following nine recommendations:
- The Georgian Parliament should repeal The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence.
- The CEC should implement reforms to balance the political composition of commissions at all levels.
- The CEC should remove arbitrary residency criteria to afford voters the opportunity to choose where they vote.
- The CEC should use uniform ballot and tabulation procedures to assess the validity of the vote in any single election to ensure equity and simplify voter education.
- Temporary Precinct Election Commissioners should be subject to vetting to ensure they have not been the recipient of short-term local government contracts within six months of an election.
- Parliament should reform the Law on Political Union of Citizens to allow coalitions.
- The CEC should ban the use of video recording devices inside polling stations to avoid exacerbating an environment of fear and intimidation.
- The Courts and investigative entities should revise the process of investigation and adjudication of election-related complaints.
- The CEC should take immediate steps to ensure a calm, orderly and secure voting process at polling stations.
- IRI will continue to monitor the post-election process and issue a final, comprehensive report in the coming weeks, which will include further analysis and recommendations for future elections.
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