IRI Finds Systematic Intimidation, Harassment and Unlevel Playing Field in Georgia’s 2024 Parliamentary Elections
The International Republican Institute’s (IRI) International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) today released its preliminary statement on Georgia’s parliamentary elections, which includes a series of key findings and recommendations.
The IRI mission is led by IRI President Daniel Twining, former U.S. Representative John Shimkus, and Swedish Member of Parliament Margareta Cederfelt. These teams were supported by a core group of thematic experts who have been analyzing the pre-election environment for months and observing the election day process.
“Elections are about people choosing the course of their destiny and the elected officials they select to lead them. Bending and abusing the system, as the governing party in Georgia has done, to guarantee an outcome takes away the people’s right to exercise genuine choice and hold their leaders accountable,” said Twining. “For too long, Georgia’s political elite have treated control of state institutions as a means of monopolizing power. While the story of Georgia’s 2024 election is still unfolding, the people of this country deserve better than what the politicians are giving them.”
“On election day, the intimidation and harassment of voters was systematic both inside and outside polling stations, creating an atmosphere of fear,” said Shimkus. “The government needs to take dramatic action to ensure public trust in the political process.”
“The government’s continued harassment and intimidation of voters and civil society not only during the election period, but well before it, has threatened Georgia’s democratic underpinnings,” said Cederfelt. “In the aftermath of this election, I fear that the deep distrust between the established political elite and the public will have lasting implications.”
- Intimidation and harassment of voters was systematic both inside and outside polling stations not only on election day, but in the pre-election period as well.
- Enactment of the Law on Transparency and Foreign Influence undermined freedoms of association and expression.
- Pervasive intimidation and pressure on public sector employees and social-service benefits recipients was evident.
- Concerns of political bias and imbalance within election commissions were raised.
- The current legal and regulatory landscape created an uneven electoral playing field that poses a significant structural barrier to genuinely competitive elections.
- The investigation and adjudication of election-related complaints is insufficient, ineffective and lacks meaningful remedies.
- Citizen trust in the independence and impartiality of the Central Election Commission (CEC) is low.
- The Georgian Parliament should repeal The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence.
- The CEC should implement reforms to balance the political composition of commissions at all levels.
- The CEC should remove arbitrary residency criteria to afford voters the opportunity to choose where they vote.
- The CEC should use uniform ballot and tabulation procedures to assess the validity of the vote in any single election to ensure equity and simplify voter education.
- Temporary Precinct Election Commissioners should be subject to vetting to ensure they have not been the recipient of short-term local government contracts within six months of an election.
- Parliament should reform the Law on Political Union of Citizens to allow coalitions.
- The CEC should ban the use of video recording devices inside polling stations to avoid exacerbating an environment of fear and intimidation.
- The Courts and investigative entities should revise the process of investigation and adjudication of election-related complaints.
- The CEC should take immediate steps to ensure a calm, orderly and secure voting process at polling stations.
The delegation to Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections marks IRI’s 250th international election observation mission since 1984. Since then, IRI has offered countless reform recommendations for the benefit of host countries, including recommendations for Georgia and other countries that seek to improve the quality and conduct of their elections. This preliminary statement summarizes the findings and recommendations of 48 election observers who focused on national and community-level electoral preparations in the lead up to the October 26 elections.
The analysis of the pre-election environment began in early June and included 20 international Long-term Observers (LTOs) on the ground since July and 28 Short-term Observers (STOs) who observed election week. Long-term observers deployed to ten regions throughout Georgia: Imereti, Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Ajara and Tbilisi. For approximately 100 days ahead of the polls, the mission observed all 73 election districts throughout the country and met with political parties, media representatives, election officials, the judiciary, government and security officials, civil society organizations, and community and religious leaders.
The mission conducted its activities in accordance with the laws of Georgia and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, adhered to principles of non-interference, and coordinated closely with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and other regional observer missions that endorse the Declaration.
