Friends of Georgia Call for International Investigation into Alleged Election Fraud - The South Caucasus News

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On November 6, representatives of European countries calling themselves “Friends of Georgia” issued a joint statement, calling for an international inquiry commission to investigate irregularities of Georgian elections and for sanctions to be imposed on Bidzina Ivanishvili and officials and political leaders responsible for the country’s democratic backsliding.

The statement emphasizes the signatories’ strong commitment to stand with nations that uphold the values of democracy, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, and with the Georgian people and their European choice. It also notes their “deep regret” at Georgia’s recent democratic backsliding “including the enactment of anti-European legislation limiting the space for independent civil society organizations and human rights.”

The signatories also reiterate their “deep concern” about the Georgian elections, which were “marked with the unprecedented number of incidents and systemic violations“, reported by international observers. Noting that “integrity of elections and upholding the rule of law” is an integral part of European values to which “Georgia as an EU candidate country has to demonstrate its commitment,” the signatories demand:

that all allegations of electoral manipulation (including, during the pre-election period), especially with regard to voter intimidation and vote buying must be transparently investigated;
that, as the allegations at hand are so serious, that only the independent international inquiry can address and investigate these elections and of all reported violations in the pre-electoral period and during the elections;
making the voting protocols available and publicly transparent, so that each voter can verify if the information on their voting fact, time and place is factually accurate;
repealing of the legislation that undermines the fundamental rights and freedoms of Georgian citizens and organizations and runs counter to the values and principles upon which the EU is founded.

The signatories also call on the EU and the trans-Atlantic allies to “impose sanctions on the officials and political leaders of Georgia, including Bidzina Ivanishvili, who are responsible for violations of the electoral process, including for the use of state institutions and administrative resources throughout the electoral process.” They also call for “freezing of all EU funds engaged in assistance and cooperation projects with the state and public institutions of Georgia with the exception of those dedicated to the supporting of civil society and the establishment of rule of law structures.”

The statement underlines the need for Georgia’s international partners to increase financial support for Georgia’s civil society and independent media, based on respect for democracy and the rule of law. In addition, the signatories note the importance of visa liberalization for Georgian youth and call on the EU Commission and Council to review it “without excluding the possibility of its full suspension if the above listed are not met.”

“We will continue standing with the Georgian people and their European choice. We will also continue supporting unwaveringly Georgia’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally established borders,” concludes the statement.

Signatories of the joint statement: Christine Schwartz-Fuchs, Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, Federal Council, Austria; Els Van Hoof, Chair, Committee of Foreign Affairs, Chamber of Representatives, Belgium; Pavel Fischer, Chair, Committee for Foreign Relations, Defense and Security, Senate, Czech Republic; Marko Mihkelson, Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, Estonia; Peeter Tali, Chair, European Affairs Committee, Estonia; Jukka Kopra, Chair, Defence Committee, Finland; Heikki Autto, Chair, Grand Committee, Finland; Sebastian Tynkkynen, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Finland; Frédéric Petit, Deputy Chair, European Affairs Committee, Deputy Secretary General of European Democratic Party, France; Michael Roth, Chair, Committee on Foreign Relations, Bundestag, Germany; Anton Hofreiter, Chair, Committee on European Affairs, Bundestag, Germany; Rasa Juknevičienė, Vice-Chair, Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, MEP; Raphaël Glucksmann, MEP; Rihards Kols, MEP; Charlie Flanagan, Chair, Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Cathaoirleach, Ireland; Lia Quartapelle, Deputy Chair, Foreign and European Community Affairs Committee, Chamber of Deputies, Italy; Ināra Mūrniece, Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, Latvia; Edmunds Cepurītis, Chair, European Affairs Committee, Latvia; Emanuelis Zingeris, Chair, Committee of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania; Žygimantas Pavilionis, Deputy Speaker, Chair, European Affairs Committee, Lithuania; Gusty Graas, Chair, Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, Chamber of Deputies, Luxembourg; Jesse Klaver, Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, House of Representatives, The Netherlands; Derk Boswijk, Member, Foreign Affairs Committee, House of Representatives, The Netherlands; Ina Coseru, Chair, Foreign Policy and European Integration, Moldova; Agnieszka Pomaska, Chair, European Union Affairs Committee, Sejm, Poland; Bogdan Klich, Chair, European Union Affairs Committee, Senate, Poland; Carlos Rojas, Deputy Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, Congress of Deputies, Spain; Pablo Hispan, Member, Foreign Affairs, EU, Defense Committees, Congress of Deputies, Poland; Erik Ottoson, Member of Riksdag, Sweden; Oleksandr Merezhko, Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, Ukraine.