The News in Brief
Friday, September 13, 2024
Prepared by Messenger Staff
OSCE/ODIHR Launches Election Observation Mission for Georgia's Parliamentary Elections
On September 12, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) announced the opening of an election observation mission for Georgia's upcoming parliamentary elections. According to the official press release on the OSCE website, the mission will be led by Eoghan Murphy and will include 12 international experts based in Tbilisi, along with 30 long-term observers to be deployed across Georgia starting September 19. Additionally, the mission plans to request 350 short-term observers to arrive before October 26, the election day.
The OSCE/ODIHR mission aims to assess the elections' compliance with OSCE commitments, international democratic standards, and national legislation. Observers will monitor key aspects of the election process, including campaign conduct, election administration, dispute resolution, and media coverage, as well as review the implementation of previous ODIHR recommendations.
On election day, October 26, the mission will collaborate with delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to oversee polling stations, voting, ballot counting, and result tabulation. Preliminary findings will be released the day after the elections, with a final report and comprehensive assessment expected several months later.
The ODIHR emphasized that interactions with state authorities, political parties, civil society, media, and the international community are crucial components of their observation process.
Public Defender Levan Ioseliani Meets with U.S. Ambassador
On September 11, Public Defender of Georgia Levan Ioseliani and First Deputy Public Defender Tamar Gvaramadze met with U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunnigan. The discussion focused on the Public Defender's role in human rights protection and the importance of observing the electoral process, particularly in preventing hate speech and ensuring political confrontations adhere to ethical norms.
Ambassador Dunnigan reiterated the U.S. government's commitment to supporting the Office of the Public Defender. The meeting also included the introduction of Jamie Shufflebarger, the new director of the International Bureau of Anti-Narcotics and Law Enforcement Programs (INL) at the U.S. Embassy in Georgia.
Both parties expressed their willingness to strengthen partnership relations.
OSCE/ODIHR Launches Election Observation Mission for Georgia's Parliamentary Elections
The OSCE/ODIHR mission aims to assess the elections' compliance with OSCE commitments, international democratic standards, and national legislation. Observers will monitor key aspects of the election process, including campaign conduct, election administration, dispute resolution, and media coverage, as well as review the implementation of previous ODIHR recommendations.
On election day, October 26, the mission will collaborate with delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to oversee polling stations, voting, ballot counting, and result tabulation. Preliminary findings will be released the day after the elections, with a final report and comprehensive assessment expected several months later.
The ODIHR emphasized that interactions with state authorities, political parties, civil society, media, and the international community are crucial components of their observation process.
Public Defender Levan Ioseliani Meets with U.S. Ambassador
Ambassador Dunnigan reiterated the U.S. government's commitment to supporting the Office of the Public Defender. The meeting also included the introduction of Jamie Shufflebarger, the new director of the International Bureau of Anti-Narcotics and Law Enforcement Programs (INL) at the U.S. Embassy in Georgia.
Both parties expressed their willingness to strengthen partnership relations.