TBILISI, September 10 – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has informed Georgia that it will not be able to send observers to the upcoming local elections scheduled for October 4, due to the short notice.
The director of the organization’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Maria Telalian, explained that the government’s invitation came less than a month before the vote, which “does not leave sufficient time to effectively observe the process.”
Ruling party lawmaker Levan Makhashvili dismissed the OSCE’s reasoning. Speaking to journalists, he said that “time indication is nothing more than ordinary manipulation,” adding that Georgia would have welcomed observers if their findings had been respected.
He added that ODIHR officials could still attend if they wished, even with little time remaining, and emphasized that the ruling Georgian Dream party held no special position regarding international monitors.
