The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) released their final report on the Georgia election observation mission. The Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions issued by the ODIHR election observation mission on November 1, 2020 concluded that the elections “were competitive and, overall, fundamental freedoms were respected.” The final LEOM report similarly concluded that the elections “were conducted under a substantially revised legal framework that provided a sound basis for holding democratic elections.”
The US Embassy in Georgia also concluded that the elections were “competitive and fundamental freedoms were respected.”
Despite the significant challenges associated with COVID-19, the Government of Georgia, Central Election Commission (CEC) in consultation with civil society and party representatives, developed an epidemiological safety protocol for voting. The election administration met all legal deadlines and generally managed technical aspects of the elections efficiently, amid adjustments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All international and observer missions including OSCE ODIHR, PACE, and other foreign missions concluded that the elections were conducted in a competitive environment where all the fundamental freedoms were respected and reflected the will of the Georgian people.
Throughout 2020, the Parliament of Georgia adopted electoral legislation per OSCE/ODIHR recommendations. In point of fact, one year ago on March 8, 2020, after several rounds of multi-party negotiations facilitated by the US, EU, and German Ambassadors, all political parties agreed on a phased transition to a fully-proportional (party-list) system by increasing the number of party-list seats from 77 to 120 and decreasing single-mandate seats from 73 to 30 with 1% threshold for party lists for the 2020 Parliamentary Elections.
On June 29, 2020, Georgia’s legislators adopted the agreed-upon constitutional amendments designed to increase parliamentary pluralism and allow for more proportional representation in the legislature. The opposition parties – signatories of the March 8 agreement – reneged on their pledge and did not vote for the changes despite calls from the ruling party, international partners, and facilitators of the political dialogue.
Even with the most free and fair election in Georgian history, some opposition parties refused to accept the outcome of the general election as legal, notwithstanding all reports to the contrary. Since the election, they called for a boycott to the second round and then refused to enter Parliament. US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan and EU President Charles Michel (who visited Tbilisi recently) continue to facilitate a dialogue to ensure that all parties join Parliament.
The Government of Georgia is committed to build on the progress and continue the pace of reforms, further ensuring the rule of law, increasing public confidence in a strong and independent judiciary, political pluralism, economic growth, and the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration.