General documents - Joint statement on the parliamentary elections in Georgia - Delegation to the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee, the EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee

Joint statement by

· the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, MEP David MCALLISTER and

· the Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, MEP Nils UŠAKOVS

· the Chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, MEP Sergey LAGODINSKY

on the parliamentary elections in Georgia

Brussels, 28 October 2024 - "On Saturday 26 October, Georgia held parliamentary elections following a highly polarised and tense election campaign and among concerns about the country's democratic backsliding.

Georgian people have once again showed their engagement and commitment to democracy, not only by using their right to vote in large numbers but also by active participation in observing these elections and reporting irregularities.

According to the preliminary findings and conclusions of OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) International Election Observation Mission, which included the European Parliament election observation delegation, these elections were marred by reports of pressure on voters, uneven playing field, polarized media environment and political instrumentalization. Among irregularities reported by international observers, there were incidents of violence, vote buying, double-voting, media and observers' removal, intimidation of voters inside and outside the voting stations. All reported violations must be investigated and addressed under the appropriate complaints and appeals procedures without due delay.