On September 3 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe issued a written declaration signed by PACE members, expressing alarm at the ruling party’s apparent preparations to steal the 26 October parliamentary elections.
The declaration states: “There are alarming reports coming from Georgia which seem to indicate that the ruling party is preparing to steal the upcoming parliamentary elections.”
The declaration points at concrete reports that substantiate these apprehensions, such as “a massive intimidation campaign against opposition candidates and their supporters, whose premises are looted and whose families are threatened with apparent impunity.” The PACE members also note that “there have also been physical attacks against opposition activists.”
The signatories are stress that the voters are subjected to intimidation by “disseminating false information putting into question the secrecy of the vote – “the government will know how you voted and there will be consequences”.
The declaration notes, that many national election observation groups are being prevented from doing their jobs “by abusing anti-corruption legislation even before the so-called “foreign agents law” enters into force.” The Central Election Commission, the PACE signatories note, “has recently been brought under the control of the ruling party”.
Noting that “Such actions have created a pre-electoral environment in which it is very difficult to hold free and fair elections.” It further stresses that “In order to achieve international recognition of the election result, the authorities should stop acting in an anti-democratic way and reverse course.
The declaration stresses the crucial role of the international observers, including from PACE, ” to allow the people of Georgia to determine their future freely.”
The signatories to the declaration are: Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia, ALDE ; Ms Meritxell ALCOBÉ, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Régis BERGONZI, Monaco, ALDE ; Ms Larysa BILOZIR, Ukraine, ALDE ; Ms Elena BONETTI, Italy, ALDE ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Ms Bernadeta COMA, Andorra, ALDE ; Ms Valentina GRIPPO, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Ms Zanda KALNIŅA-LUKAŠEVICA, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Ms Miapetra KUMPULA-NATRI, Finland, SOC ; Mr Arminas LYDEKA, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Octavie MODERT, Luxembourg, EPP/CD ; Mr George PAPANDREOU, Greece, SOC ; Mr Ryszard PETRU, Poland, ALDE ; Ms Marijana PULJAK, Croatia, ALDE ; Ms Azadeh ROJHAN, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Serhii SOBOLIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Kadri TALI, Estonia, NR ; Ms Victoria TIBLOM, Sweden, EC/DA ; Mr Kim VALENTIN, Denmark, ALDE ; Ms Lesia VASYLENKO, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Sergiy VLASENKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Markus WIECHEL, Sweden, EC/DA