Tbilisi, 27 October 2024 (dpa/MIA) – International election observers have expressed concern about numerous irregularities following the parliamentary election in Georgia.

The experts complained of instances of voter intimidation, pressure on authorities, violence against observers, vote-buying, multiple voting and ballot stuffing, the mission from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reported on Sunday in the capital, Tbilisi.

They called for an investigation into these incidents and urged further democratic reforms.

At the same time, mission chief Pascal Allizard praised the democratic vitality of the South Caucasus republic, despite certain setbacks. There were a total of 18 options on the ballot papers, he noted. The Frenchman stated that the election was, overall, well organized.

Other observers also highlighted the strong presence of civil society, ensuring the oversight of voting and vote counting.

The OSCE observers also expressed concern about the new authoritarian laws in the country, criticized by the European Union and the United States, and the overall polarized situation.

The country stands at a crossroads following negative trends in recent months, they said.

Georgia is an EU candidate country, but the process is currently stalled due to these controversial laws.

The election commission had declared the conservative nationalist ruling party Georgian Dream as the winner with an absolute majority. The individual blocs of the pro-European opposition did not recognize the provisional results.

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