The “Opposition Alliance” has named six key conditions it says are necessary to ensure “fair and free elections” in Georgia, while also calling for the release of political prisoners and the repeal of what it described as repressive legislation.
Alliance says the first requirement is a complete overhaul of the election administration based on a parity principle. Under the proposal, the election commission would consist of one representative from each political party that passed the electoral threshold in the 2020–2024 elections, while all lower-level commissions would be formed based on the same principle. Although the alliance does not recognize the legitimacy of the 2024 parliamentary elections, it said it accepts the results solely for the purpose of determining threshold-passing parties.
The second demand concerns Georgian emigrants, with the alliance calling for the restoration of voting opportunities abroad. It said polling stations should be opened in countries where the number of emigrants meets the threshold outlined in the proposal.
Third, the alliance called for stronger voter verification procedures, including the introduction of facial recognition technology.
The fourth condition involves inviting a trusted international company to conduct auditing, examination and oversight of the electoral process.
The alliance’s fifth demand is the opening of voter lists to allow public access to information on voter participation.
Finally, it proposed that electoral disputes be reviewed by specially established judicial panels formed through a general agreement among relevant parties.
Speaking on behalf of one of the member groups, the Coalition for Change, Tengo Tevzadze said that before discussing fair and free elections, authorities must release political prisoners, end politically motivated criminal cases and repeal repressive laws.
“First of all, we are waiting for everyone, all of Georgia, on Rustaveli Avenue on May 26, where we must gather in very large numbers,” Tevzadze said.
“The Opposition Alliance has set replacing Georgian Dream as its main objective. First and foremost, we believe this should happen through fair and equal elections. Before we can speak about fair and free elections, political prisoners must be released, politically motivated criminal cases must be stopped, and repressive laws must be repealed,” he added.
Image source: IPN
