Prepared by Messenger Staff
Volski Dismisses OSCE Election Monitors as Unnecessary and Hypocritical
First Vice Speaker of Parliament Gia Volski said OSCE/ODIHR observation missions are not standard practice for local elections worldwide. Speaking to journalists, he responded to the British Embassy in Georgia's call for the government to invite the mission to observe upcoming local self-government elections.
Volski described the demand as "pure hypocrisy," adding, "OSCE/ODIHR observation missions are not envisaged for local elections. There is no such global practice."
He accused the opposition of trying to bring back an organization they had previously "discredited" and "politically humiliated" after a positive decision about Georgia in October 2024. "Now, they are demanding their arrival," he said.
Volski assured that "there will be enough observers" and "every opposition party will have its own representative in the commission." He also highlighted Georgia's electronic voting system and expressed confidence that the elections will meet European standards.
The British Embassy had urged the Georgian government to invite OSCE/ODIHR observers and implement all recommendations from the ODIHR's final report on the 2024 parliamentary elections.
Zourabichvili Condemns Pressure on NGOs by Anti-Corruption Bureau
The fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, expressed strong support for organizations she says have faced "pressure" from the Anti-Corruption Bureau. She criticized actions that violate personal data protection, calling them contrary to the "core values" of the rule of law and democratic standards.
"I express my support for the principle of personal data protection, the responsibility to uphold which-and the commitment to which-is an obligation for everyone, without exception," Zourabichvili said. "The law must not demand the violation of this obligation by anyone."
She added, "Any action that violates this principle and exerts pressure for the disclosure of data is incompatible with the rule of law and democratic standards. No law should be used against critical voices or the independent civil sector."
Zourabichvili also accused the Anti-Corruption Bureau of becoming "a punitive institution," stating, "Instead of launching investigations into numerous high-profile corruption cases in the country, Kuprashvili's agency has turned into a punitive institution."
She concluded by standing "in solidarity with the organizations that resisted this pressure."
