West calls for investigation into election violations in Georgia
Reacting to the results of the parliamentary elections in Georgia, the West called for an investigation into violations.
In the United States, after Georgia announced the results of its parliamentary elections, Washington called for an investigation into all reports of violations during the election campaign. Secretary of State Antony Blinken quoted international observers as saying that the election environment showed signs of the ruling party abusing public resources, bribing and intimidating voters, "creating an uneven playing field and eroding public and international confidence."
The US Secretary of State stressed that Washington noted reports of "violations and instances of violence"; at the same time, citing observers who were questioning the honesty and fairness of the voting results.
Mr. Blinken called on the Georgian government to "support the rule of law, repeal laws that violate fundamental freedoms, and work together to address electoral irregularities."
In the UK, Foreign Secretary Stephen Doughty spoke out about allegations of abuse of administrative power, polarization ahead of the election and "instances of voter intimidation and coercion".
In a statement posted on the UK Foreign Office website, Mr Doughty said: "We will monitor the situation closely with our international partners and stand ready to assist."
The head of the European Union's diplomatic mission, Josep Borrell, also expressed concern about the election in Georgia. Citing observers, he spoke of pressure on voters, unequal conditions for candidates and concerns about recent legislative changes to the electoral process.
"These violations need to be clarified and reviewed. This is a necessary step to restore confidence in the electoral process," said Mr. Borrell.
The Polish Foreign Ministry also expressed concern about the progress of the parliamentary elections in Georgia. "Unfortunately, what we observed in the elections on October 26 did not bring Georgia closer to the EU and NATO, but on the contrary, it distanced Tbilisi from them," the Polish Foreign Ministry said.
Similarly, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausea said that the Georgian government is still firmly taking a stance that leads the country against the trend of European integration.
"First of all, the question is whether the Georgian Dream party will win or not. That is the question. We do not even know whether they will win or lose. Secondly, in Georgia, only a few people are satisfied with the results. Because this result is completely inconsistent with the rapprochement with the European Union," the Lithuanian President said.
However, observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Parliament said they did not see any large-scale unrest. Their report said that Georgia's legal system had organized the election effectively, which took place as scheduled.
At the same time, the OSCE pointed out the imbalance of opportunities among the candidates. According to observers, the ruling party has more resources to gain the upper hand. In addition, the pre-election environment is also accompanied by polarization.
Georgian media quoted Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze as saying on October 28 that the opposition was trying to overthrow the "constitutional order" and that his government remained committed to European integration.
For many years, Georgia was one of the most pro-Western of the former Soviet bloc countries, with polls showing that many Georgians disliked Russia.
