In a statement released on Wednesday, Levan Ioseliani, the Georgian Public Defender, claimed that he had not found any evidence to support claims of electoral fraud in the October parliamentary elections, as alleged by opposition groups.
Ioseliani explained that he had not received any substantial information from domestic political parties or NGOs regarding fraud on a scale that could have impacted the election results.
“I do not have the mandate to observe elections directly, and I did not have representatives at the 3,000 polling stations. However, those who did have representatives have not provided solid proof of any fraud that would indicate 300,000 votes were falsified or that 100,000 people were deprived of their IDs,” the Public Defender stated.
He added that had he encountered evidence of fraud, his position would have changed. “None of the 100,000 people whose IDs were reportedly confiscated have come forward to present their case. I am familiar with the logistics required to rig 300,000 votes, and I do not believe such claims,” he concluded.
Ioseliani emphasized that if credible evidence of electoral fraud existed, it should be made public immediately.
