OSCE PA Leaders Call for Overcoming Political Deadlock in Georgia

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) leaders urged on November 17 Georgian political parties to overcome political deadlock emerged after hotly-contested October 31 parliamentary elections and “to ensure that the voters’ will is respected.”

Noting that up to two million citizens cast their ballots on October 31 despite the coronavirus pandemic, leader of the short-term election mission MP Elona Gjebrea Hoxha stressed the importance of an inclusive election complaint review process to ensure public confidence in the electoral process.

“Now that this process is concluded all political parties elected should take their mandates, enter parliament, and continue their work within the institutions,” MP Hoxha underscored.

Recalling that October 31 elections were “competitive and, overall, fundamental freedoms were respected,” MP Pia Kauma, the Head of the OSCE PA’s delegation of observers, urged Georgian parties “to overcome the current polarization and to work together for a stable political framework.”

Chair of the OSCE PA’s Committee on Political Affairs and Security, U.S. Congressman Richard Hudson noted that “the parties involved in the political deadlock of this moment need to find a way to overcome it,” adding that “while the complexity of this task is clear, a positive outcome is vital for Georgia’s democratic future.”

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