TI-Georgia Denounces Legitimacy of December 14 Presidential Election
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, December 16, 2024
Transparency International-Georgia (TI-Georgia) has condemned the December 14 presidential election as "illegitimate," asserting that both the electoral process and the newly elected president lack legitimacy under the current government. In a statement released following the election, the organization criticized the actions of the Georgian Dream party, accusing it of undermining democratic principles and further aggravating the political crisis in the country.
The statement from TI-Georgia asserts that Mikheil Kavelashvili's election as president was the result of a highly undemocratic process. "On December 14, 2024, Bidzina Ivanishvili and his party elected their own president," the statement reads. It highlights that the Georgian Dream party had previously rigged the October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections and seized power. According to Transparency International, this usurpation of power led to the election of Kavelashvili by an illegitimate parliament.
The organization emphasized that the parliamentary session that formally recognized Kavelashvili's election took place in gross violation of Georgia's Constitution. The session, the statement notes, was convened without the authority of the President, which is required by Georgian law. Furthermore, the legitimacy of the parliament's members was being challenged in the Constitutional Court at the time, further undermining the parliamentary body's ability to appoint a legitimate president.
"Given the Georgian legislation, Georgian society does not recognize the president elected by the Georgian Dream as the legitimate president of Georgia," TI-Georgia stated. The organization warned that by continuing with the election process in disregard of the Constitution, Bidzina Ivanishvili and his party were exacerbating the ongoing political crisis in the country.
TI-Georgia urged Ivanishvili to halt actions that would further destabilize the country. "We once again call on Bidzina Ivanishvili to stop deepening the political crisis in the country and act in accordance with the interests of Georgia and its citizens, to uphold the law and the Constitution," the statement concluded.
TI also called for urgent reforms, including the release of individuals arrested during protests and the cessation of all charges against them. The organization demanded the holding of new elections under a fair and impartial framework, with a new election administration and political neutrality in law enforcement agencies such as the State Security Service, Special Investigation Service, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
