TBILISI, The International Republican Institute (IRI) is sending a long-term observer mission to Georgia, which will arrive on July 18.

Resident Country Director Andrea Keerbs says the IRI will have both long-term and short-term observers from the U.S. and Europe.

July 21, the long-term mission will be distributed to different regions of Georgia.

25-26 observers are expected to come, she said.

The National Democratic Institute has also started gearing up for the election in Georgia and will tomorrow present its first report about the election campaign.

A representative of NDI today said that they also are expecting a long-term observer mission to arrive in July.

NDI and IRI are affiliated with the Democratic and the Republican parties in the U.S., respectively. They are funded by the federal government and work to promote democracy abroad.

Also observers from other countries are expected for the parliamentary election in Georgia, but Russian observers have been banned.