‘Address Election Shortcomings’ – Barroso Tells Saakashvili
Shortcomings identified in the presidential election should be addressed in order to create conditions conducive for “fairer and more transparent” parliamentary elections this spring, Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, has said.
In a letter sent to President Saakashvili on January 22, congratulating him on his re-election, Barroso said that civil unrest in November and the recent election “had shown that Georgia still faces formidable challenges to foster a genuine democratic culture in its political body and to achieve a more effective separation of institutional powers.”
In particular, Barroso cited the OSCE/ODIHR interim reports highlighting a blurred distinction between state administrative resources and electoral campaigning, an imbalance in television coverage, problems with the counting and tabulation processes, and the cursory manner in which the electoral commissions and the courts handled appeals.
“I am confident that, under your guidance,” Barroso tells Saakashvili, “the new Georgian administration will draw lessons from the recent electoral experience and engage with determination in addressing these shortcomings, with a view to create the conditions for fairer and more transparent legislative elections in a few months. This is essential to promote a more pluralistic and participative society and increase the people’s confidence in democratic institutions and in the judicial system.”
Barroso also expressed his “appreciation for the strong attachment to democracy and the rule of law that the people of Georgia have demonstrated throughout the electoral process.”
