Statement of the NDI International Observation Mission to Georgia's October 8, 2016 Parliamentary Elections
Tbilisi, Georgia
SUMMARY
On a day that started smoothly but ended with isolated cases of violence, the vast majority of Georgian voters, poll workers, party activists, and candidates demonstrated their commitment to democracy by participating peacefully in the October 8 parliamentary elections. Following a vibrant and competitive campaign, citizens were able to cast their votes freely and, in most places, counting proceeded in a calm and orderly manner. In some electoral precincts, however, counting was disrupted or terminated by unruly and, in some cases, violent crowds. Violence has no place in any election. Although this detracted from the democratic contributions of the many Georgians who had voted and administered polling stations in good faith earlier in the day, it did not appear to substantially interfere with the ability of most Georgians to express their will through the elections.
It will now be incumbent upon all government officials, election administrators, parties, candidates, and NGOs to allay tensions. All sides should refrain from further violence. Election results confirmed as valid by credible observers, such as through the parallel vote tabulation (PVT) conducted by nonpartisan citizen observer group the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), should be accepted. Political parties should document any grievances and complaints and seek redress through established legal complaint mechanisms. The CEC should immediately address the irregularities in and disruption of the counting process to determine the necessity of recounts or reruns, particularly in those majoritarian races where the outcome could be affected. Adjudication bodies should investigate and address legitimate problems expeditiously and impartially. Meanwhile, forward-looking leaders within all of Georgia’s political parties should convene to start building consensus on a constructive path onward.
Georgia now heads toward run-off elections later this month, followed by local and presidential elections over the coming two years. The conduct of those processes will depend on accepting valid results and resolving disputes from October 8 peacefully. Regardless of the new parliament’s final composition, its leaders will need to reach out to other parties within and outside the legislature in order to govern effectively and ensure that all citizens, including those who voted for other parties, feel represented.
