The National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI) have launched their international observation missions ahead of Georgia’s crucial Parliamentary election on October 26. The NDI’s international nonpartisan long-term election assessment mission arrived in Tbilisi on July 22. The IRI’s announcement about the start of its mission came on July 18.
“During its stay in the country, the members [of the NDI team]will focus on key electoral themes, including political campaigns, election administration, Georgia’s media and information space, as well as gender and inclusion issues,” the NDI said, adding that its team will meet with the authorities, political parties, CSOs, non-partisan citizen observation organizations, representatives of state and private media. NDI’s team includes five long-term analysts (LTAs) and a mission director. The team will be supported by additional Georgia-based assistants.
As for the IRI mission, it said there will be 20 long-term observers to cover municipalities and electoral districts across Georgia in the months leading up to the October Parliamentary election. The IRI said “all stakeholders have been receptive to the presence of international election observers.”
“The government of Georgia has an opportunity to prioritize electoral transparency, in ensuring that Georgia administers credible elections free from any pressures or physical obstacles. As such, this election will serve as the litmus test for Georgia’s democratic trajectory,” said Stephen Nix, Senior Director for Eurasia at IRI.
The IRI mission has already held meetings with the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson of the Central Election Commission on July 19, as well as the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze (who is also the head of the ruling party campaign) and the Georgian Dream Parliamentary officials on July 20.
On July 23, during the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearing that examined U.S. policy toward Georgia and Moldova ahead of their upcoming elections, U.S Representative Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) questioned Joshua Huck, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State overseeing policy for Southern Europe and the Caucasus and Alexander Sokolowski, Deputy Assistant Administrator at the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), about the administration’s plans for ensuring that the elections in October are free and fair. Huck stressed the importance of “clear and high-level direct messaging to the government of Georgia that they are headed in the wrong direction, to make clear what to do to return to the path of Euro-Atlantic trajectory.” Sokolowski added that the U.S. needs to focus on the electoral process to help Georgia move in the right direction by facilitating the work of pre-election assessment missions and election observers.
