EU investigates Georgia election violations
European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano has announced that a European technical mission will visit Georgia in the coming weeks to investigate alleged violations during the parliamentary elections held on October 26.
“Preparations for the visit are in full swing. More details about the mission will be shared in due course,” Stano stated in response to an inquiry from Radio Liberty’s Georgian service.
Following a discussion on the situation in Georgia during the meeting of EU foreign ministers on November 13, Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the recent elections in Georgia.
“We cannot simply keep stating that the elections were unfair without conducting a proper investigation,” Borrell remarked, announcing that the European Union will send a dedicated mission to Georgia.
Ahead of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting, four pro-Western opposition parties that surpassed the 5% threshold and gained seats in the new parliament sent a joint letter to Josep Borrell and the foreign ministers of EU member states.
The letter accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of falsifying the October 26 election results, in which it claimed nearly 54% of the vote. “Based on preliminary results and independent analysis, these four parties collectively received 52% of the popular vote, if the elections had been free and fair,” the letter asserted.
The authors cited evidence including exit polls conducted by independent research organizations such as Edison Research and HarrisX, as well as reports from NGOs documenting electoral violations.
EU investigates Georgia election violations