"Despite our recent concerns with democratic backsliding in Georgia, we had hoped to see a commitment by the Georgian government to run a free and fair election process that reflected the wishes of the Georgian people. In reality, we have witnessed something different in this weekend’s parliamentary elections," American senators, Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen, stated in a joint response to the parliamentary elections held in Georgia.
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According to the senators, reports from the OSCE/ODIHR, the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, and Fair Elections highlighted numerous violations that seriously undermined the standards of democratic elections.
"We are also alarmed by the dozens of reports of election day interference, including violence, voter intimidation and ballot stuffing, that could have further damaged the integrity of yesterday’s election results.
We call on the Department of State, in partnership with our European friends, to immediately investigate reports of fraud and any external interference to determine whether any actions have seriously impacted the outcome of the elections. Those responsible should be held accountable," the statement reads.
The senators note that “This is a precarious moment for Georgia. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, must recognize that its actions could have immediate consequences on its economic and security agenda."
"Russia has also undoubtedly benefited from sowing division and disinformation. We recognize the right of the Georgian people to, if they so choose, protest peacefully and call on the relevant Georgian authorities to respect this deeply important democratic right.
If needed, we will make additional changes to our bipartisan legislation, the Georgian People’s Act, to ensure that those responsible for fraud and manipulation of the election process are held accountable. The U.S. Senate is fully committed to supporting the democratic aspirations of the Georgian people," the senators said in a joint statement.
