On October 27, United States Secretary of state Antony Blinken released a statement regarding the parliamentary election in Georgia. He condemned “all violations of international norms”, and joined the “calls of international and local observers” for a thorough investigation into all reports of electoral-related violations.
The Secretary Blinken stated that “Georgia’s vibrant democracy has served as a source for strength since 2004, and the Georgian people’s embrace of democracy is demonstrated by yesterday’s turnout.” He also noted that international and local observers have noted that the pre-election climate this year was marked by “the ruling parties misuse of public resources and vote buying, which all contributed to an unequal playing field and undermined the public and international confidence in the possibility of fair results.”
“While both international and local observers agreed on the general administration of Election Day, we have received reports of irregularities and violence. International observers have not declared that the results were free and fair. We condemn all violations of international norms, and we join the calls of international and local observers to conduct a full investigation into all reports of election-related violation,” said Secretary Blinken.
The statement continues: “We encourage Georgia’s leaders to respect the rule-of-law, repeal legislation which undermines fundamental liberties, and address deficiencies within the electoral process jointly.” Georgia’s European integration and Euro-Atlantic goals, enshrined by the country’s Constitution, require the government to respect the rights of citizens and civil society.
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