PACE report: International observers' car intentionally damaged on election day

PACE reports Georgia election violations

According to a report by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), on the day of Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections, members of the observation mission had their car vandalised, with tyres slashed and damage inflicted on the vehicle.

The report, prepared by PACE on 28 November, is set to be discussed during the Council of Europe’s winter session in Strasbourg on 27 January 2025.

The incident, which PACE described as “unacceptable,” took place in the village of Bodbe, in the Signagi municipality.

“The team’s car was deliberately vandalised by a group of approximately 40 unfriendly strongmen outside the polling station. A tyre was punctured, and the perpetrators attempted to make it appear like an accident by deliberately smashing an old vehicle into the already damaged car”

The report also highlights other violations that, according to PACE, cast doubt on the “fairness of the electoral process” and the “legitimacy” of its results.

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Key issues highlighted in the report:

• Violations of voting secrecy observed at a quarter of polling stations;
• Politicisation of state institutions;
• The decision by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, appointed by Prime Minister Kobakhidze, to register certain NGOs as “entities with a declared electoral purpose”;
• Bias within the Central Election Commission;
• “Unequal playing field” between parties and the use of administrative resources by Georgian Dream;
• Unequal media access for parties and media polarisation;
• Systematic intimidation and harassment of voters and activists;
• The “Foreign Influence Transparency Act,” requiring organisations with over 20% foreign grant funding to register in a special registry;
• Mass surveillance through cameras installed by Georgian Dream at polling stations;
• Democratic backsliding, evident in increased restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression during the election period.

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The OSCE “is not mandated to validate or reject election results; its report is intended to help voters draw their own conclusions.”

What did international organisations say about Georgia’s election results?

On 20 December, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) published its final report on Georgia’s 26 October parliamentary elections, concluding that the elections were marred by violations.

● The report cited systematic breaches of voting secrecy and voter intimidation. According to the OSCE, the elections failed to meet the organisation’s recommendations and standards.

● It highlighted that recent legislative changes, such as the adoption of the “Foreign Influence Transparency Act,” negatively impacted civil liberties and society, undermined the independence of electoral institutions, and increased pressure on voters.

On 24 December, the International Republican Institute (IRI) released its final report, stating that the elections took place amid serious human rights violations..

The IRI’s international election observation mission identified significant violations and outlined four key issues with the elections: 

● Unequal conditions for candidates and the misuse of state resources;

● Persecution of civil society and opposition parties, along with systematic voter intimidation;;

● State capture of electoral and judicial institutions; 

● Public rejection of the election results. 

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