"Georgia has conducted parliamentary elections, which were marked by serious irregularities. And this needs to be investigated and addressed in a transparent and independent manner," said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, at a briefing in the European Commission.
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As Borrell noted, there are many violations, some of which are unfortunate.
"Important remark, that independent services have not declared elections to be free and fair neither in the country. So we are a zone that requires investigation. you know that to clarify what has happened which is to scope the irregularities, and how this has affected the result," said Joseph Borrell.
He added that this situation reinforces a trend observed in recent months by the Georgian authorities, which distances the country from the European Union, its values, and its principles.
"Should there be political will from Georgia's leadership we offer a clear path for re engagement on the way to the European Union. The repeal of the law on foreign influence, which has a chilling effect on civil society and media organizations, and of the law on so-called family values, because a discrimination is not a value in our European Union family," Borrell stated, noting that this would be the first sign of the Georgian government's commitment to European values.
"It is very important to follow closely, the events that will come on the next days about the investigation and clarification of the irregularities that have been remarked by the observation and electoral observation teams," Borrell said.
