Per Eklund, one of the heads of the international observation mission of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and former EU ambassador to Georgia, stated that the pre-election period did not meet the fundamental standards of democratic elections.
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At a press conference held today, October 27, Per Eklund reported a high turnout in the October 26 parliamentary elections, demonstrating Georgian citizens' commitment to the democratic process.
“The Georgian people have clearly expressed the value they place on their democratic path.
State-sponsored efforts to discredit election observers, legislation targeting civil society, and voter intimidation reported by observers both leading up to and on election day severely undermined the fairness of the process,” said Eklund.
The NDI delegation's observers were active in 10 regions across Georgia. According to Eklund, they concluded that voting was largely legal; however, monitoring groups noted "a significant increase in serious violations from the previous elections including violence, voter intimidation and instances of ballot stuffing.”
