The EU will closely monitor the parliamentary elections in Georgia on October 26 this year, expects that they will comply with international standards, and also reminds that “democratic institutions and processes” play a key role in assessing the readiness of a candidate country to join the European Union, a representative of the European Union said, Political Lore reports.⠀
“The EU will closely monitor the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26. The EU expects that these elections will be competitive, as well as comply with international standards and reflect the will of the Georgian people,” the EU representative said.⠀
He noted that Brussels is “concerned about the statements of the Prime Minister and other officials of the Georgian Dream regarding the ban of all opposition parties.”⠀
“We recall the need to respect the basic principles of democracy, a key part of which is political pluralism. Stable and consolidated democratic institutions and processes are a central pillar of the EU accession process and form a core part of the annual assessment in the report on the prospects for European Union enlargement,” the EU representative emphasized.⠀
He also added that “a healthy democracy is based on political diversity” and “opposition parties, a vibrant civil society and an independent media are essential to holding governments accountable and upholding democratic values.”
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Earlier, the ruling Georgian Dream party stated that if it receives a constitutional majority following the fall parliamentary elections, the United National Movement party of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili will be declared unconstitutional, and parliamentarians’ parliamentary mandates will be revoked. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that the United National Movement party also indirectly includes other opposition parties. At the same time, the mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, stated that the Georgian Dream does not plan to ban other opposition parties, we are talking about a specific “criminal group.”⠀
On October 26, 150 members of parliament will be elected in Georgia for a term of four years.
