On October 27, the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken issued a statement on the parliamentary elections in Georgia, condemning “all contraventions of international norms” and joining the “calls from international and local observers for a full investigation of all reports of election-related violations.”
The Secretary Blinken underlined that “Georgia’s vibrant democracy has been a source of strength since 2004, and yesterday’s turnout demonstrates the Georgian people’s embrace of democracy,” emphasizing however that this years pre-election environment was noted by international and local observers to be marked by “the ruling party’s misuse of public resources, vote buying, and voter intimidation, all of which contributed to an uneven playing field and undermined public and international trust in the possibility of a fair outcome.”
- 27/10/2024 – NDI, IRI International Observer Mission Preliminary Assessment of Georgian Elections
- 27/10/2024 – International Election Observation Mission Preliminary Findings and Conclusions
“While international and local observers agreed that Election Day was generally well administered, we note reports of irregularities and sporadic violence. International observers have not declared the result to be free and fair. We condemn all contraventions of international norms and join calls from international and local observers for a full investigation of all reports of election-related violations,” stressed Secretary Blinken.
The statement further reads: “Going forward, we encourage Georgia’s political leaders to respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, and address deficiencies in the electoral process together. Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration goals, enshrined in the country’s constitution, require that the government respect the rights of members of civil society and the fundamental freedoms of all Georgian citizens.”
Also Read:
- 27/10/2024 – BREAKING: President Zurabishvili Rejects Election Results
- 27/10/2024 – Senior European MPs: EU Cannot Recognize Results of 26 October Vote
- 27/10/2024 – Helsinki Commission Chair Calls on State Department to Investigate Allegations of Fraud in Georgian Elections
- 27/10/2024 – International Reactions to Results of the Parliamentary Elections in Georgia