“I am glad that the representatives of OSCE remain and the full observation mission will be in the second round. It was very important in the first round and will also be important in the second round,” stated Carl Hartzell, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia.
He noted, there will be another mission from the European Parliament. Four members of the European Parliament will take part with OSCE, as in the first round.
“We have seen positive developments since the previous election. We think the legal framework for the election has been strengthened, including as a result of the electoral reform that followed the agreement on April 19. We have also seen that election day went smoothly. At the same time, very clearly, we saw irregularities in the first round, we talked about intimidation, bribery, pressure on voters and politicians, as well as unequal conditions,” said Hartzell
He added, he hopes this practice will not become the norm for elections in Georgia. Hartzel noted, he would not assess the period between the first and second rounds, as the assessment after the second round is a matter for OSCE and international observers.
By Ketevan Skhirtladze
