CEC Hails ‘International Observers’ but Most are Obscure
Georgia’s Central Election Commission has unveiled the list of 19 international and 9 local organizations so far registered to observe the October 4 local elections, as spokesperson Natia Ioseliani lamented that OSCE/ODIHR will not be present. The international list is largely made up of state-linked bodies, while the local groups are mostly obscure and little-known.
“It is sad that OSCE/ODIHR observation will not be the case in municipal elections, though there was an offer,” Ioseliani said at a press conference on September 10, a day after ODIHR announced it “will not be in a position to deploy an election observation mission,” citing “insufficient time for credible and meaningful observation” as Georgian Dream extended a last-minute invitation exactly four weeks before the vote.
“For us, the election administration, of course, as usual, now too, the participation of both local and international organizations in this process is important,” she said, noting that the election monitors have until the end of September to register. Around the same period before the 2021 municipal elections, the number of registered observers was much higher, with 29 international and 64 local monitoring missions already accredited.
Note: The initial version of this report said 16 international organizations and listed 11 of them. It has been updated after the CEC published a revised list of 19 international observers.
Observers for October 4 Vote
The list of international observers includes 19 groups. Notably, most of the groups are state-linked and little recognized, as the list lacks credible international missions such as ODIHR, NDI, or IRI.
- Association “ALTERFACT”
- Independent Election Commission – Jordan (IEC)
- Independent High Electoral Body of Tunisia
- Election Commission of Maldives
- Supreme Election Council of Turkey
- National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE)
- State Election Commission of Montenegro
- Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Electoral Commission of South Africa
- Central Election Commission of Bulgaria
- Central Commission on Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic
- Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan
- Fijian Elections Office
- Hungary’s National Election Office
- The Department of Elections, referendum and the Political Parties of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic
- Central Election Commission of the Republic of Armenia
- Commission on Elections of the Philippines
- State Electoral Office of Estonia (Note: Civil.ge has learned from official sources that the State Electoral Office denies sending any official observation mission for Georgia’s October 4 municipal vote).
- Central Election Commission of the Republic of Albania
The list of local observers includes nine organizations that are less credible, as some of them have allegedly been affiliated with the ruling party in past elections. Meanwhile, prominent observers like ISFED, Transparency International Georgia, and Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association are absent.
- International Observatory for Barristers and Lawyers
- Analytical and Compilation Center for Election and Political Technologies
- Free Generation Association
- Georgian Labor Union of Vocational Education and Training Workers and Students
- Center for Democracy and Human Rights
- Center for Media and Human Rights Protection
- Politics and Law Observer
- Institute for Law and Policy Research
- Civic Development and Monitoring Center
ISFED earlier said it would not deploy the standard mission on this elections, citing “largely unmet” conditions to ensure free and fair vote, but noted that it would continue to assess the relevant pre-election developments.
Georgia’s October 4 local elections are set to be half-boycotted, with only 14 political parties contesting. The main opposition forces taking part are the Lelo/Strong Georgia alliance and former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party. Meanwhile, a bloc of mainstream opposition groups, known as the Eight Parties, is campaigning for a boycott, arguing that participation would lend legitimacy to Georgian Dream amid ongoing protests and state repression.
Note: This article has been updated on September 11, 15:50, to reflect the denial by the State Electoral Office of Estonia of sending an official mission to observe Georgia’s 2025 local elections.
Also Read:
- 05/09/2025 – Kavelashvili Pardons Lelo/Strong Georgia’s Khazaradze, Japaridze Ahead of Local Vote
- 26/08/2025 – ISFED: Election Law Changes Tilt October 4 Vote Further Toward Georgian Dream
- 06/11/2024 – TV Pirveli Investigation Exposes Alleged Schemes of Voter Pressure, Vote Buying, Carousels
- 04/11/2021 – Georgia’s Obscure Election Watchdogs
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