EU Hails Commendable Progress in Conduct of Georgia’s Elections

The European Union welcomes the preliminary findings and conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) to the parliamentary elections in Georgia on 28 March 2004. The findings state that the elections demonstrated commendable progress compared with previous elections and that the conduct of the elections has brought Georgia closed to meeting OSCE and Council of Europe standards for democratic elections.

“The European Union welcomes the IEOM findings that ballot secrecy was improved during this election and that freedom of expression was enjoyed by the media in general, with the exception of Adjara,” the statement issued by the European Union on March 30 reads.

The EU called on all parties to ensure the continued calm and to make progress on the important economic and political reform challenges facing the country.

“The EU has also taken note of the concerns of the IEOM outlined in their preliminary report, including the complete lack of commitment by Adjarian authorities to guarantee sufficient conditions for the conduct of a meaningful democratic election in the region. We expect the Georgian authorities to address the IEOM’s concerns and to continue to work constructively with the OSCE and the Council of Europe for further democratization,” the statement says.

The EU recalled its willingness to help Georgia overcome its pressing difficulties through the full range of EU instruments and policies.