EU Parliament calls for re-run of Georgia elections

RIGA - Due to significant irregularities, members of the European Parliament (EP) reject the outcome of the recent parliamentary elections in Georgia and call for them to be re-run within a year, the EP press secretary in Latvia, Janis Kreslins, told LETA.

On Thursday, the EP adopted a resolution condemning the October 26 parliamentary elections in Georgia, an EU candidate country, for being neither free nor fair, representing yet another manifestation of the continued democratic backsliding of the country "for which the ruling Georgian Dream party is fully responsible".

The resolution was adopted by 444 votes in favor, 72 against, with 82 abstentions.

MEPs denounce the numerous and serious electoral violations, including documented cases of intimidation of voters, vote manipulation, interference with election observers and media and reported manipulation involving electronic voting machines.

The vote results announced by the country's Central Election Commission "do not serve as a reliable representation of the will of the Georgian people", they add. Parliament rejects any recognition of the parliamentary elections as a result, as the international community should too, and MEPs want the elections re-run within a year under thorough international supervision and by an independent election administration.

While supporting calls for an independent international investigation into the allegations of electoral manipulation, Parliament wants the EU and its member states to impose personal sanctions on the officials and political leaders in Georgia who are responsible for democratic backsliding, violations of electoral laws and standards, and the misuse of state institutions.

This includes Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party Kakha Kaladze, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili and former Prime Minister and oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. MEPs also call on the EU to severely restrict formal EU-level contacts with the Georgian government and parliament, while stating clearly that Georgia, as a result of recently adopted anti-democratic legislation, including the ‘law on transparency and foreign influence’, has already had its EU integration process effectively suspended.

The EP also strongly condemns Russia's systematic interference in Georgia’s democratic processes, through disinformation such as the 'Global War Party' conspiracy, which claims that the country's opposition would supposedly drag the country into war with Russia under orders from the West. MEPs issue a severe warning to Georgian authorities that any attempts to ban legally established political parties would further alienate the country from the EU and make any moves towards EU accession impossible. They also say that the policies implemented by Georgian Dream are incompatible with Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration.

As reported, the ruling Georgian Dream party won the Georgian parliamentary elections on October 26 according to the official results, but the opposition parties and President Salome Zourabichvili do not recognize the results and claim election fraud. The parliamentary elections were largely seen as an indicator of Georgians' willingness to join the EU.