Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze responded to opposition statements regarding the government’s decision to invite an OSCE/ODIHR observation mission, saying their position lacks consistency.
Kaladze claimed that despite repeated claims of election fraud, the opposition has yet to provide any concrete evidence. He also pointed out that OSCE/ODIHR missions are not typically invited to monitor local elections, but the government nevertheless made the decision without hesitation.
“We remember the atmosphere after the parliamentary elections — the pressure, the insults, both from inside and outside the country. There was talk of falsification and countless baseless accusations, yet to this day not a single fact or piece of evidence has been presented. The OSCE/ODIHR’s conclusion was dismissed and the organization itself was insulted simply because the opposition did not get the result they wanted. Now, on the contrary, they are demanding that we invite OSCE/ODIHR. They should decide what it is they actually want,” Kaladze stated.
