October 31 Elections: EU Announces ‘European Diplomatic Watch’

The Delegation of the European Union to Georgia announced on October 29 about dispatching a European Diplomatic Watch, with over 70 teams aiming to visit over 1,000 polling stations across Georgia, during the election day on October 31.

According to the announcement, the objective is to support the democratic process in Georgia as well as the ongoing ODIHR election observation mission.

Teams will be composed of members of the EU Delegation to Georgia, and the Member State embassies of Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden as well as the embassies of Norway and Switzerland.

Announcing the European Diplomatic Watch, EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell said “for us, and for the EU-Georgia relations, what in the end matters is not who will win these elections, but how these elections will be won.”

“In other words, how these elections will be conducted, which is the responsibility that rests on the shoulders of all actors,” Ambassador Hartzell highlighted.

This, the Ambassador said, “is a testament to the EU’s unwavering support to the democracy here in Georgia, and it is the demonstration of our readiness to walk the extra mile to make sure that we can instill some further trust in these elections by providing international eyes and ears.”

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)