Georgian election administration expresses concern over “rigged elections” claims from European Parliament

Georgia’s Central Election Commission on Wednesday voiced strong concern regarding recent statements made in the name of the European Parliament that refer to the October 26 parliamentary elections as “rigged”.

The election administration asserted that such claims were “unsubstantiated” and were undermining fundamental legal principles.

“The Central Election Commission has issued multiple public statements regarding the October 26 elections, providing detailed clarifications, including attempts to discredit the 2024 elections based on unsubstantiated allegations. We held meetings with all stakeholders, including representatives of the international community, and addressed the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly through an open letter to counter misinformation. Despite these efforts, unjust and evidence-free allegations persist - most recently, in a statement issued in the name of the European Parliament”, the statement said.

The Commission further criticised what it called an “unprecedentedly biased” assessment by an institution that, it said, should base its assessments on facts and solid arguments.

“Statements based solely on perceptions leave the impression of political bias and are offensive to the dignity of the tens of thousands of election administrators who organised the October 26 elections”, the election administration noted.

The Commission reminded the public and MEPs that out of the 53,210 members of the 3,111 precinct election commissions formed for the 2024 parliamentary elections, 25,261 were appointed by nine political parties. Specifically, 8 of the 17 members in each commission were nominated by the opposition parties, and only nine members among them recorded dissenting opinions in the official summary protocols.

The statement highlighted that this reflected the transparency and multi-party nature of the electoral process and made it unacceptable to question the integrity of election commission members.

Following claims of “alleged fraud” after the October 26 elections, the election administration said it had proactively requested that the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office launch an investigation. The Prosecutor’s interim statement revealed that no one had submitted any specific evidence to support the allegations, with no evidence being presented either to the Election Commission or during legal proceedings related to electoral disputes.

“Since no violations, as alleged in the public allegations, actually took place, there are no corresponding facts or evidence to present”, the statement asserted.

The Commission further expressed confusion over why the European Parliament disregarded the OSCE/ODIHR’s assessment and statements made by observers, which affirmed that the elections were conducted at a high professional level and reflected the will of the electorate.

While the OSCE/ODIHR report included some concerns and recommendations - common in electoral contexts across countries - it did not question the legitimacy of the elections or allege fraud.

“Therefore, we view the latest European Parliament statement as a violation of the legal principle of the presumption of innocence. Considering that Georgia is only months away from holding municipal elections, such statements could be interpreted as an attempt to influence the electoral process and diminish public trust in it”, the statement stressed.

The Commission called on all relevant parties in the European Parliament to verify information with the electoral administration - the primary source - before making public comments or assessments regarding the October 26 elections.

“We urge you not to view the process superficially and to avoid repeating politically motivated narratives without supporting evidence. Otherwise, it may appear that such evaluations are not mere errors or oversights but deliberate attempts to intensify polarisation in Georgia”, the statement noted.

“We remain fully open to cooperation, constructive dialogue, and transparent communication - in line with international standards and our shared values”, the election administration concluded.