Charles Michel urges Georgian authorities to clarify electoral “irregularities”

MADRID 27 Oct. () –

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, has called on the Georgian authorities to clarify the “irregularities” denounced by the observers supported by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in elections in which, according to official results, would have been imposed by an absolute majority by the nationalist Georgian Dream party.

“We take note of the preliminary assessment of the mission of the OSCE/ODIHR — Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights — and call on the Central Electoral Commission and other relevant authorities to comply with its duty to investigate and rule on electoral irregularities quickly, transparently and independently,” Michel said in a statement published on social networks.

Michel further explained that he intends to “put Georgia on the agenda of the informal summit of the European Council which is scheduled for November 8 in Budapest. “The European Council in November will assess the situation and set the next steps in our relationship. with Georgia (…). These reported irregularities must be clarified and treated seriously,” he stressed.

Furthermore, Michel called on the Georgian leaders to “demonstrate their firm commitment to the country’s path towards the EU in line with the conclusions of the June and October European Councils.” He also calls for “a constructive and inclusive dialogue across the political spectrum” which is now “essential.”

According to the report of the International Electoral Observer Mission, where the OSCE participates, although the parties that have participated in the electoral process “have generally been able to campaign freely,” “there have continued to be reports of pressure on voters, in particular public sector workers.

This situation and reports about “voter tracking” on voting day “have raised doubts about the ability of some voters to vote without fear of reprisals.”

The latest data published by the Central Electoral Commission give the Georgian Dream party – considered pro-Russian – a total of 89 of the 150 seats that make up the unicameral Georgian Parliament thanks to 54.08 percent of votes. The Coalition for Change will have 18 seats, Unity-National Movement will have 17, Strong Georgia will have 14 seats and Gajaria for Georgia, 12, according to official data that is still provisional corresponding to the count of 3,100 of the 3,111 electoral districts.