Resolution on Georgia

In June and July of 2020, Georgia adopted significant constitutional and election reforms, including a modification of Georgia’s mixed electoral system and a reduction in the national proportional threshold. On election day, October 31, 2020, many Georgians showed their enthusiasm for democracy by going to the polls despite the potential risk of COVID-19 infection.

Although Georgia’s elections were held according to the country’s laws and in a peaceful environment, irregularities before and on Election Day affected the integrity of the electoral process. Georgia’s elections ultimately fell short of the standards set by the country’s new constitutional and electoral reforms and dampened citizens’ faith in electoral institutions.

Therefore, the International Democrat Union is;

Considering the reports of local and international election observation missions on widespread facts of violence, pressure, intimidation, vote-buying, abuse of administrative resources, tracking of voters, massive fraud through ballot stuffing and the so-called “carousel”, and the manipulation of election results on summary protocols at different levels of the electoral administration;

Bearing in mind the political crisis in the wake of massively falsified elections that led all opposition parties having overcome the threshold to denounce the elections as illegitimate, decline their parliamentary mandates, and call for new elections with substantially reformed election administration;

Emphasizing that the process of reviewing the complaints and appeals by the electoral administration and the courts was lacking transparency and political neutrality that further exacerbated the distrust towards the electoral process.

The International Democrat Union;

Welcomes launching a dialogue between the government and opposition facilitated by Georgia’s international partners – the United States and the European Union;

Calls on the government of Georgia to make efforts to break the political deadlock and contribute to finding the solution to the crisis based on a broad public consensus.