PM invites international organisations to send more election observers
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, June 15
Georgia’s Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, has appealed to international organisations to send more observers than in previous years to monitor the October 8 parliamentary elections in Georgia.
The PM made his remarks to representatives of an international non-profit organisation, the National Democratic Institute, which sent its pre-election delegation to Georgia on June 13 to evaluate the country’s pre-election environment over the course of four days.
The delegation was composed of former United States Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner, ex-member of the Polish Sejm (parliament) and former defence minister Janusz Onyshkevych, the NDI's Resident Director in Georgia Laura Thornton, the ex-head of the European Union representation to Georgia Per Eklund, and several others. The delegation met with Georgian officials in Tbilisi late on June 13 to discuss the country’s election-related issues.
Kvirikashvili, who attended the meeting with Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze, Minister for European and Euro Atlantic Integration Davit Bakradze and head of Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee Tedo Japaridze, told the delegation the country enjoyed “significantly improved” standards for the pre-election period.
Kvirikashvili continued that the Government was ready to provide “a democratic, free and transparent environment for the Parliamentary elections”.
The PM also briefed the delegation on reforms in terms of media pluralism, ownership rights and the independence of the judiciary in Georgia.
Over the next four days, the delegation of the NDI will observe the preparations for the elections, the general political environment and the factors which could affect the electoral process. By the end of the visit, the delegation will provide its pre-election assessment document.
The NDI is a non-partisan, non-profit organisation founded in 1983 that works with partners in developing countries to increase the effectiveness of democratic institutions.
