A PACE pre-electoral delegation, headed by Iulian Bulai (Romania, ALDE), has concluded a two-day visit to Georgia (23-24 September 2024) ahead of the parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024. Mr Bulai stressed that these elections are taking place at a very crucial moment in Georgia’s European integration trajectory. He underscored that free and fair elections, that are accepted as legitimate by all stakeholders, are essential to safeguard the country’s rightful place in European structures.

“Our delegation is concerned that polarisation of the political landscape has reached unprecedented levels, turning the forthcoming elections into a de facto referendum on Georgia’s democratic trajectory and foreign alignment. I share the concerns of the delegation’s interlocutors about crackdowns on demonstrations and expressions of dissent, which are fully legitimate in a democratic society. The authorities are expected to act in line with human rights standards, refrain from a disproportionate use of violence and demonstrate their ability to conduct due and diligent investigations in cases of violence,” he added.

“We are also concerned about allegations of harassment of opposition members, as well as threats, intimidation and hate speech against civil society and media representatives. I urge the relevant authorities to fully and transparently investigate these allegations. I deplore the chilling effect of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence on activists and domestic election observers ahead of the elections and I reiterate the Assembly’s demand to withdraw this law, which is incompatible with European democratic and human rights standards. I call on the authorities to show the utmost restraint - we note in this respect that this legislation this legislation is being examined by the Constitutional Court. In this respect, we are concerned about the decision to designate NGOs as ‘entities with declared electoral goals’ subject to the same financial oversight and restrictions as political parties, which creates a chilling effect on domestic observers.”

“These elections will be the first held under a fully proportional election system in Georgia. However, the combined effect of the five per cent threshold – despite several negotiations and provisional agreements to lower it – and the prohibition of election blocs could mitigate the effect of this crucial electoral reform from 2017. This has been a long-standing recommendation of the Assembly and civil society to increase pluralism in parliament, strengthen the parliament and avoid super-majorities, thus enhancing the democratic system of checks and balances,” said the head of delegation.

Mr Bulai added: “I very much deplore the amendment to the electoral law that abolished the gender quota, which could have a detrimental effect on women’s participation in political life and I urge the political parties to ensure that a significant proportion of women are on eligible position on party lists.”

“Our delegation was informed about, and I welcome, the speedy publication of preliminary results made possible by the introduction of electronic voting, which could help reduce tension on election day. I also note the educational campaign for voters launched by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). I believe the CEC should not only act impartially, but also be seen as impartial. However, recent changes to the legislation and internal rules could undermine public trust in the electoral process. Several interlocutors also raised questions about access to polling stations for Georgians living abroad,” Mr Bulai continued.

“We would also like to express our concern about politicised state institutions and media. We heard concerns about the misuse of administrative resources and pressure exerted on civil servants that would impact a level playing field. I urge all stakeholders to refrain from rhetoric that would seek to undermine political pluralism, such as calling for the prohibition of the opposition, which would seriously derail Georgia from its Council of Europe membership obligations,” he concluded.

The six-member[1] cross-party delegation led by Mr Bulai met with the President of Georgia, the Speaker of the Parliament, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, members of the parliamentary majority and opposition, the Chairperson and members of the Central Electoral Commission, and the heads of the National Communications Commission and Anti-Corruption Bureau, representatives of civil society and the media, international observers as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps.

A fully-fledged PACE delegation comprising 32 members, accompanied by legal experts from the Venice Commission, will travel to Georgia to observe the vote on 26 October 2024 alongside other international organisations.

[1] Composition of the delegation: Iulian Bulai (Romania, ALDE), Head of delegation, Frank Schwabe (Germany, SOC), Boriana Aberg (Sweden, EPP/CD), Simone Billi (Italy, EC/DA), Andrej Hunko (Germany, UEL) and Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC), Co-rapporteur of PACE Monitoring Committee