International observers from NATO and the European Union (EU) reported that Saturday’s elections in Georgia were “marked by inequalities” between candidates, “pressures and tensions”, according to Agence France Press (AFP).
Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), NATO and the EU stated that the elections in that Caucasus country were “marked by inequalities (between candidates), pressures and tensions”, describing the electoral act as ” proof of the decline of democracy” in Georgia.
AFP cites European Parliament observers who reported fraud during that election and considered that the vote marked “a setback in democracy” for the EU candidate country.
“We express our deep concern about the democratic setback in Georgia. The conduct of yesterday’s elections is regrettable proof of this fact”, said the observers, cited by AFP.
European observers also pointed out “cases of “ballot box stuffing” and reported being the target of “physical attacks”.
The Central Election Commission of Georgia announced this morning the victory of the ruling Georgian Dream party with 54.08% of the vote, defeating the pro-European coalition, which refused to admit defeat.
In a press conference, the president of that electoral body announced the victory of the party of the prime minister, Irakli Kobajidze, noting that the opposition had 37.58% of the votes (the Coalition for Change had 10.8%, the Unity – constituted by the United National Movement (MNU), founded by former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who was imprisoned, and the Renaissance Strategy party reached 10.12% and the parties Georgia Forte and Gajaria for Georgia, obtained 8.78% and 7.76 %, respectively).
Still on Saturday night, given the first results of the electoral act, the opposition contested the victory of the Georgian Dream, considering that there were “distorted results”.
The Associated Press (AP) highlights that NATO and EU election observers, spread across the country to monitor the votes, reported several violations and argue that the results “do not correspond to the will of the Georgian people”.
