OSCE Re-Established Observation Mission in Georgia

For the January 4 span presidential election in Georgia, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has re-established its long-term Election Observation Mission, to monitor the election process before, during, and after election day.

The ODIHR reported that the Mission will be joined shortly before election day by an enhanced short-term observer presence at polling station level.

?These elections are crucial for the future democratic development of Georgia,? said Ambassador Craig Jenness, who will Head the OSCE/ODIHR Observation Mission.

?Following the recent elections [the November 2 parliamentary elections], which were seriously flawed, it is now the responsibility of all actors, including the authorities, political parties, and civil society at large, to meet the high expectations needed to restore public confidence in the democratic electoral process,? he added.

Thirteen election experts at the OSCE/ODIHR Mission headquarters in Tbilisi and 24 long-term observers in the regions will closely monitor and analyse the entire electoral process. 

Some 400 short-term observers, including parliamentarians from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the European Parliament, will be deployed by OSCE/ODIHR throughout the country to observe the voting, vote count, and tabulation of results.

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