On November 29, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) released its election observation report, finding the October 26 election environment “tense” with widespread voter pressure, procedural violations and compromised secrecy, and raising serious concerns about the overall fairness of the elections.
The report describes the findings of the PACE pre-election mission to Tbilisi on September 23-24. It notes that the mission observed increased political polarization. The report says that “in this context, free and fair elections, accepted as legitimate by all stakeholders, were considered essential for safeguarding the country’s rightful place in European structures.” The delegation said it was alarmed by the ruling Georgian Dream party’s rhetoric calling for a constitutional majority to ban opposition parties, warning that this undermined political pluralism and Council of Europe commitments.
Other concerns included the chilling effect of the controversial Foreign Agents law, attempts to restrict election observation by NGOs such as Transparency International, alleged misuse of administrative resources, media polarization and threats to journalists. While welcoming a fully proportional electoral system, PACE highlighted issues such as high thresholds and the perceived bias of the Central Election Commission.
As for the election day itself, PACE reports deploying 500 international short-term observers to nearly 2,000 polling stations across Georgia, noting a generally well-organized voting process inside polling stations, with trained staff and functional electronic voting devices. However, the overall election environment was assessed as being marred by widespread reports of intimidation, particularly in rural areas.
Observers documented instances of ruling party strongmen intimidating voters outside polling stations, the presence of cameras compromising voting secrecy, installed allegedly by authorities, and confusion among election staff about their origins, with some mistakenly believing it was installed by CEC. Some polling stations saw interference from ruling party representatives, and irregularities, such as vote-buying and procedural inconsistencies during counting, were observed.
PACE also reported concerning incidents that undermined the integrity of the electoral process, including vandalism targeting a PACE observation team’s vehicle and aggressive behavior from so-called “citizen observers” affiliated with the ruling party. Observers noted a pervasive atmosphere of control and surveillance, with ruling party members monitoring voters inside and outside polling stations. While some teams reported no irregularities, the findings aligned with those of the IEOM, highlighting a tense election environment with widespread voter pressure, procedural lapses, and compromised secrecy, raising serious concerns about the overall fairness of the elections.
Conclusions and Recommendations
“The parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024 were marked by high polarisation of the political and media landscape, hate speech against the opposition and civil society and deep antagonism between the ruling party and the opposition on the one hand, and the ruling party and the President on the other. Our delegation is particularly concerned about the widespread climate of party-organised intimidation, before and during the elections, especially in rural areas, that marked these elections as well as questions about the impartiality and independence of certain State agencies responsible for implementing the law. Our delegation was particularly alarmed by the public statements made during the campaign by the ruling party calling for a ban on key opposition,” reads the main conclusion of the PACE’s mission.
The PACE delegation “raise concerns about the correctness of the election results, namely whether the election results truly reflect the will of the voters. Additionally, serious doubts persist regarding whether the electoral environment provided the necessary conditions for a fair election, enabling voters to make an informed choice free from intimidation and undue pressure.”
PACE highlighted the politicization of state institutions, including concerns over the impartiality of the Central Election Commission (CEC) following recent legislative amendments and the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s actions against civil society organizations. These developments, combined with Georgia’s broader “democratic backsliding”, including restrictions on freedoms of expression and association, have raised doubts about the country’s commitment to European standards.
PACE urged the Georgian authorities to address critical shortcomings in the electoral framework to align with European standards. Priority measures reccomended to take include restoring the credibility and impartiality of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau by reversing recent changes that undermined opposition representation and transparency. It also called for reintroducing mechanisms to ensure qualified majorities in key appointments and conducting a comprehensive review of the electoral framework to strengthen regulations on administrative resource misuse, campaign finance oversight, and media access.
To enhance public trust, PACE recommended “swift, credible, and transparent” investigation into electoral irregularities by independent bodies, alongside improved voter identification procedures and comprehensive electoral audits. Strengthening voting secrecy is also seen as essential by the delegation, including revising rules on surveillance in polling stations to prevent intimidation and protect data privacy.
Additionally, PACE emphasized fostering fair electoral competition by repealing restrictive laws, such as the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence. Measures to enhance voter education, particularly for minorities and first-time voters, and to prevent political violence and resource misuse are also highlighted as being crucial.
Finally, PACE called on the Council of Europe and its Secretary General to support Georgia’s democratic development through dialogue, technical assistance, and monitoring. The Georgian authorities are urged to demonstrate political will to restore trust, address post-election controversies, and uphold democratic principles in line with the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy.
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