Papuashvili Meets with OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly recently shared an update on a meeting held on the margins of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Tashkent. Parliament Chairman Shalva Papuashvili met with the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Pia Kauma. According to the OSCE, the main topic of their discussion was the implementation of the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations following Georgia's parliamentary elections held last year.
"On the margins of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Tashkent, the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Pia Kauma, met with the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, and the Head of the Georgian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Nikoloz Samkharadze. The discussion focused on the implementation of the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations following last year's elections," the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly wrote on X.
After the meeting, Shalva Papuashvili reflected on the discussions with Kauma.
"I had the opportunity to meet with the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, who, as the public knows, was the head of the OSCE observation mission during the 2024 parliamentary elections," Papuashvili said.
He also discussed the developments that had taken place since the elections, particularly highlighting his appreciation for the OSCE/ODIHR's election monitoring efforts.
"I thanked her once again for the work that the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission did in terms of observing the elections and making assessments. It is important that everyone respects the OSCE/ODIHR report regarding the elections. Before the elections, we understood that the OSCE/ODIHR report would be a guideline for assessing the elections, but then it turned out that everyone was trying to turn a blind eye to the OSCE/ODIHR report, which clearly states the validity of the results that came after the parliamentary elections," Papuashvili remarked.
He also expressed concern that some were disregarding the OSCE/ODIHR's findings and, instead, were offering personal opinions about the election results.
"Everyone is trying to express their personal opinions regarding the elections. We also talked about cooperation with the OSCE, as well as the recommendations that exist after the elections, both in terms of legislation and electoral practice," the Speaker said.
Papushvili noted the ongoing efforts to improve the election process, particularly focusing on the local elections. He emphasized the need for legislative amendments to enhance the technical aspects of the election process and the overall electoral environment.
"We also mentioned that we are working to ensure that the local elections are held even better both at the technical level and in terms of the electoral environment. For this, legislative amendments are also needed. We have implemented it and the CEC is working on the issues under its competence," Papuashvili added.
