Georgia: After the Honeymoon

Statement of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s pre-election delegation to Georgia

Tbilisi, 27 February 2004

The Rose revolution has ended; the new government is now in place. The new authorities came into power with the promise to firmly establish pluralist democracy in Georgia. The forthcoming Parliamentary Elections are a crucial test for the progress of Georgia on the road to democracy and they will for a large part define the relationship and dialogue between Georgia and the Council of Europe.

The pre-election delegation (*) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe therefore is deeply concerned that the new authorities did not follow up on crucial recommendations it made after the last elections and in the report that was adopted by its plenary session in Strasbourg in January 2004. The delegation therefore strongly believes that, if there is the political will, these recommendations can still be implemented by the new authorities, if necessary through an extra-ordinary session of the current parliament.

The so called Baker formula used to compose the CEC and lower level election commissions has lead to over-representation of governing parties in these commissions. Before the November elections this formula was heavily criticized by the then opposition parties. The Assembly supported their criticism at that time and it believes that what was undemocratic then remains undemocratic now. The Assembly therefore reiterates its position that the authorities should without delay adopt measures that ensure the unbiased composition of the CEC and lower level election commissions.

Pluralist democracy cannot function without a viable opposition. With the current 7% threshold to enter parliament, combined with a fragmented opposition, there is a real risk that the upcoming elections will result in a one party parliament. This would be a serious step back for the development of democracy in Georgia. The delegation can therefore see no reason why the authorities should oppose lowering the threshold from the high 7% to 4% or 5%, which is the average in European democracies and calls upon the authorities to lower this threshold.

Democratic opposition however cannot be legislated. The pre-election delegation therefore welcomes the decision of several opposition parties to contest in these elections and equally calls upon all opposition forces to participate in these elections and to provide the voters with a genuine choice on Election Day based on the real issues that are facing the Georgian society.

The voting process is unnecessary complicated and at times infringes on the principle of secrecy of the vote. The delegation welcomes the efforts already made by the CEC to simplify the election protocols, but regrets that other measures, such as the abolishment of the use of envelopes and the need to stamp ballot papers after the vote has been cast, were not put into place.

The delegation was pleased to note that progress was made in other areas relating to the forthcoming elections. The efforts made to create a computerized voters register are to be welcomed, and although same day registration of voters on election day can still not be abolished, this is a point of marked progress over previous elections. The delegation also welcomes the work done to ensure the participation of minorities in these elections especially the availability of ballots and all other election materials in Azeri and Armenian in the minority areas.

The freedom of the press in Georgia has been a constant point of praise by the Assembly even in otherwise highly critical reports. The delegation is therefore concerned to note that there is a growing feeling of the need to apply self-censorship by the media. The Assembly stands by the new authorities in their fight against corruption and it trusts that this will be done in the framework of the rule of law and the respect of human rights, including the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press. The delegation is confident that the new authorities will take all measures necessary to ensure a political environment that is conductive to the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press, without which democracy cannot flourish.

Clearly, democracy needs to be developed in all of Georgia. The delegation therefore condemns the recent events in Adjara and calls upon the Authorities in Batumi to guarantee that free and fair elections, including election campaigning, can be conducted in the Autonomous region of Adjara. The delegation equally calls upon all parties to abstain from violent confrontations

The Parliamentary Assembly will send a 30-member delegation to observe the elections on 28 March 2004. The Assembly wants once more to express its willingness to assist the authorities to develop parliamentary democracy in Georgia.

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* The pre-election delegation was composed of Matyas Eörsi (Hungary, LDR) and Evgueni Kirilov (Bulgaria, SOC) as well as Henning Gjellerod, Honorary Associate of the Parliamentary Assembly.