Member of the special club in the Montenegrin parliament, Jevrosima Pejović, as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for European Security and Cooperation (OSCE), was part of the international observation mission for the parliamentary elections in Georgia.
As announced by the Parliament of Montenegro, a joint statement on preliminary findings and conclusions for the improvement of the electoral process in Georgia was presented today at the press conference.
"The observation mission, which included representatives of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO and the European Parliament, emphasized that in most cases the candidates were free to lead campaign", says the statement.
The election is said to be marked by deep political polarization, concerns about the impact on basic freedoms and civil society organizations, as well as harsh pre-election rhetoric and frequent reports of voter pressure.
OSCE Special Coordinator Pascal Alizar said that, although the election day passed peacefully and showed active participation of voters, polarization, pressures and unequal political arena cause concern regarding respect for democratic values.
The announcement states that the observers specifically pointed out the impact of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, which had a significant effect on the work of civil society organizations, along with numerous information about influences, attacks and intimidation.
"In addition, the abolition of gender quotas resulted in a decrease in the number of women on party lists, which is a step backwards for gender equality in the political life of Georgia," the statement said.
The head of the OSCE PA delegation, Pia Kauma, said that, although they praise the peaceful course of the elections, the reduction in the number of female candidates due to the abolition of gender quotas represents a setback for diversity.
"I hope that the effects of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence will be reviewed in the next convocation of the parliament in order to protect the work of civil society and ensure equal rights for all voices in Georgia," added Kauma.
Observers pointed out that, despite an efficiently organized election process, the unequal distribution of financial resources, which went in favor of the ruling party, further upset the balance in the campaign.
The observation mission is also concerned about the increased presence of intimidation of voters, especially employees in the public sector and other vulnerable groups, which threatens the right to free and impartial voting.
The international observer delegation, which consisted of 529 observers from 42 countries, called on the Georgian authorities to continue working on improving democratic standards in order to realize aspirations for EU and NATO membership.
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