EU officials: 'Georgia’s elections were held amid widespread suppression of dissent'
News in Georgia
EU foreign affairs commissioner Kaja Kallas and enlargement commissioner Marta Kos issued a joint statement on Georgia’s municipal elections, saying they took place amid widespread suppression of dissent.
What the statement says
“Months of raids on independent media, the adoption of laws targeting civil society, the imprisonment of opponents and activists, and amendments to the electoral code favouring the ruling party have severely limited the possibility of competitive elections. Much of the opposition boycotted the vote, and turnout remained relatively low.
Moreover, the Georgian authorities’ refusal to invite international observers in a timely manner — including the OSCE/ODIHR — undermined the transparency of the electoral process and prevented credible international monitoring. Local organisations also refrained from observing due to the repressive environment.
Large numbers of people have continued to protest against the ruling party’s repressive policies. We call for the release of all those arbitrarily detained.
We urge calm and restraint in the post-election period and call on the authorities to respect citizens’ rights to freedom of assembly and expression. A constructive and inclusive dialogue involving all political forces and civil society remains essential, and all sides should refrain from violence.
Finally, the European Union firmly rejects and condemns disinformation about the EU’s role in Georgia, as well as personal attacks against the EU ambassador to Georgia.”
On 4 October, Georgia held municipal elections amid a renewed political crisis in the country.
A mass anti-government protest in central Tbilisi ended with an attempt to storm the presidential palace and police intervention.
Around a dozen people, including political leaders, were detained.
The ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory in the elections, which were boycotted by the opposition and a large part of society.
Voter turnout stood at 40.93%, dropping to just 31% in Tbilisi — the lowest participation rate since Georgia’s independence.
In the capital, incumbent mayor Kakha Kaladze from Georgian Dream was re-elected with 71.5% of the vote.
Candidates from Georgian Dream also won in other major cities.
Given that most opposition parties and coalitions refused to take part, the ruling party’s victory appeared decisive — it faced virtually no real competition.
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