The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), a local election monitor, denounced the ruling Georgian Dream party’s plan to end voting for Georgians abroad, describing the move as “yet another step against inclusive democracy” that “harms the principle of universal suffrage.”
Citing the perspectives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the Venice Commission, as well as the practices of countries that allow their citizens to vote in ways other than in person, ISFED said in a November 18 statement that abolishing such opportunities for Georgians runs counter to “good international electoral practices and global trends,” and the move “clearly creates the impression that this step against the principle of universal suffrage is driven solely by narrow party interests.”
“For context, in the 2024 parliamentary elections, Georgian Dream received the support of only about 13% of voters at polling stations opened abroad, while according to the Central Election Commission’s nationwide results, the party received approximately 54% support overall,” the organization noted.
The group called on the GD-led Parliament to not support the planned change in the Electoral Code, and instead, “facilitate greater opportunities for these persons to exercise their right to vote.
On November 17, the disputed Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili, announced a fundamental overhaul of the country’s Electoral Code, including the end of voting abroad in parliamentary elections. Papuashvili said the change would “strengthen election resilience” against foreign interference, arguing that citizens living abroad receive “filtered information” from media sources and that they must arrive in the country to make an informed choice.
Political Reactions
The ruling party faced backlash from the opposition and government critics again, who fear that the change would effectively disenfranchise the estimated one and a half million citizens living abroad.
Mamuka Khazaradze, a leader of Lelo, wrote on Facebook that the move amounts to depriving emigrants of their constitutional rights. “Bidzina Ivanishvili admitted today with this step that he is afraid of the Georgian diaspora. There is immense strength in Georgian emigrants.”
Levan Bezhashvili, a member of the United National Movement, argued that the Georgian Dream has been losing at polling stations abroad, “where there is a free electoral environment, where the authorities have fewer levers to pressure people, where people understand the value of freedom and democracy.” He added, “This is why the regime needs to eliminate those polling stations, the freedom zones where people can express their opinions freely.”
Giga Lemonjava, a Droa leader representing the Coalition for Change, said, “This is not just an attack on emigrants and their civic liberties or on political parties. It is an attempt to cancel elections as institution of democracy. It is an attempt to kill democracy in Georgia.” Lemonjava added that the reason behind the move is that the Georgian Dream “cannot control” voters abroad.
Giorgi Sharashidze, a leader of the Gakharia For Georgia party, which now sits in Parliament alongside GD, described the proposal as an “absurd,” “anti-constitutional,” and “anti-state” initiative. Sharashidze also said that GD “admitted that emigrants are a problem for them because the party’s propaganda fails to reach them, and that there is no lever to influence these people – neither intimidation, bribery, nor propaganda.” He said the ruling party “tries to isolate Georgia now, also, from its citizens.”
Sharashidze added that the For Georgia party will “fiercely resist” the adoption of the bill and will use “all political levers and instruments” against it.
Georgia’s fifth President, Salome Zurabishvili, harshly criticized the move during a November 17 briefing, saying, “This Russian regime will enter Georgia’s history as the most harmful and criminal regime.” She stressed, “If you hold this country’s passport and citizenship, then you must also have the right to take part in elections, because participating in elections is the act through which you stand as a citizen of the country.”
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, however, dismissed critics, saying in a televised interview that while emigrants’ votes “had no substantive impact on the election results,” the move is aimed at enhancing election resilience and reducing external influence, claiming that voters abroad may be subject to pressure from foreign jurisdictions.
“To give a simple example, a person may fear that if they express certain political preferences, their residence permit may not be extended, or they may not be able to keep their jobs,” he said. “You may recall that our opponents previously ran a campaign claiming that at a particular embassy, people who supported the government were being denied visas. This was part of their campaign. This clearly shows how easily a person can be subjected to the influence of a foreign jurisdiction.”
“When you are making decisions about issues concerning your own country, you must be completely free from the influence of any foreign jurisdiction,” Kobakhidze said.
Also Read:
- 08/03/2025 – MFA: More than 1.5 Million Georgians Live Abroad
- 28/11/2023 – Politicians Want to Bring More Georgians Abroad to Ballot Boxes in 2024