U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement expressing his “alarm” at the democratic backsliding in Georgia saying that “Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections were marred by numerous recorded misuses of administrative resources as well as voter intimidation and coercion” and calling on the Georgian government to conduct a transparent investigation into the election irregularities.
The statement stresses that “Georgian citizens have a right to peacefully express their views regarding the conduct of these elections, which independent international and domestic observers have not said were free and fair.”
The President’s statement reads: “We call on the Georgian government to transparently investigate all election irregularities, to repeal laws such as the so-called “Foreign Influence Law” that limit freedoms of assembly and expression, and to begin an immediate, inclusive dialogue with all political forces in Georgia about restoring election integrity. “
The statement emphasizes that “the United States has long stood with the Georgian people and supported the country of Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations” and calls for all parties “to strictly respect the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, which remain the foundation for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future.”