OSCE Representative Writes to Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Pascal Alizard, Vice-President of the French Senate and leader of a short-term observer mission for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has written a letter to Georgia‘s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maka Bochorishvili.
The letter is an attempt by Alizard to contribute to future cooperation between the OSCE and Georgia. It comes after the first session of the new Georgian Parliament. Alizard led the OSCE observer mission during recent parliamentary elections in Georgia.
The mission aimed to observe and assess the electoral process, making sure it was transparent and fair. The preliminary findings showed both good and bad points about the election. Voters had many choices, and the technical preparations were well done. However, there were also issues with voter pressure, uneven playing fields due to financial imbalances, and a lack of representation for women on party lists.
Alizard raised concerns about recently adopted legislation that could affect fundamental freedoms and Georgia’s civil society. He encouraged the Georgian Government and Parliament to address these areas in order to strengthen public trust and democratic standards.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is ready to help Georgia improve its democratic institutions, inclusivity, transparency, and respect for fundamental freedoms.