Parliamentary Group to Monitor Adjara Polls

Parliamentary Chairman Davit Bakradze said that a parliamentary inter-factional group would be set up to monitor the forthcoming elections in Adjara.

Elections for the Supreme Council of Adjara – the region’s legislative body – will be held on November 3.

“The elections in Adjara will be held in a very important period for the Georgian state, when Georgia should prove that despite Russia’s aggression, the country has not turned from the way of democratic development, when Georgian should prove that despite Russia’s aggression, it remains dedicated to key values, such as democracy, human rights and free elections,” Bakradze said at a press conference on October 9.
     
The parliamentary chairman called on parties contesting the elections to join the group. “Our common task is to hold these elections in a democratic way,” Bakradze said.

He also warned local officials that any illegal actions would be dealt with severely.

Bakradze also said that he had requested that relevant international organizations and parliaments of partner countries send observers to Adjara. “There should be as many observers in Adjara as possible to ensure transparency of the entire process,” he added.

Eight political parties have been registered for the polls: the ruling National Movement; Christian-Democratic Party; Industrialists Party; the Georgian Troupe; On Our Own; the Georgian Politics; Georgia’s United Communist Party and Conservative Party.

The leaders of the Conservative Party, however, said that they would not run in the polls. The party said that it would withdraw its candidates at a last moment in order to actively use the pre-election airtime for calling to boycott the elections.  

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