Elections held in peaceful and orderly fashion
By Messenger Staff
Friday, October 21
The European Union (EU) has praised the October 8 Parliamentary Elections in Georgia for being held in a “generally peaceful and orderly way.”
“Barring some incidents of violence near and in a number of polling stations, the preliminary assessment of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission found the elections to be competitive, well-administered and respectful of fundamental freedoms,” the Council of Europe 2016 Foreign and Security Policy report said.
The report endorsed this week stated the EU “is looking forward to working with the democratically elected new parliament and government of Georgia once the electoral process is complete.”
It also called for all representatives elected to the new parliament to work together in the interest of Georgia.
The report also said the EU would continue to support Georgia's efforts to overcome the consequences of conflict in Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The support included the activities of the EU Monitoring Mission and the EU Special Representative (EUSR) for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia. The report stressed the EU “firmly supported” Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Parliamentary elections were held in Georgia on October 8. Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) announced that a second round of parliamentary elections would be held on October 30 in 50 single-mandate constituencies, 18 of which are located in the capital.
Voting will be re-run at polling stations in Marneuli, south of Tbilisi, and in precincts of Zugdidi in western Georgia on October 22 as the initial election results in each were invalidated by the CEC after violent clashes disrupted the voting process on October 8.
Georgian Dream majority party and United National Movement opposition candidates are expected to face each other in run-offs in 44 districts.
Georgia has a 150-seat parliament, with 73 MPs elected in majoritarian, single-mandate constituencies. The remaining 77 seats are awarded to MPs elected in proportional voting based on party lists.
