European Council President calls for investigation into election violations in Georgia
European Council President Charles Michel urged Georgian authorities to investigate reported violations in the recent parliamentary elections.
Michel shared this statement on social media platform X, according to Ukrinform.
"We note the OSCE/ODIHR preliminary assessment and call on the Central Election Commission and other relevant authorities to fulfill their duty to swiftly, transparently and independently investigate and adjudicate electoral irregularities and allegations thereof. These alleged irregularities must be seriously clarified and addressed. We reiterate the EU’s call to the Georgian leadership to demonstrate its firm commitment to the country’s EU path, also in line with EUCO June and October conclusions," Michel emphasized.
He highlighted that constructive and inclusive dialogue is now of paramount importance.
The European Council President also announced his intention to include the issue of Georgia on the agenda for the informal European Council meeting, scheduled for November 8 in Budapest.
As previously reported, Georgia's Central Election Commission published preliminary election results, showing the ruling party Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia receiving 54.273% of votes.
The party of former Georgian President Saakashvili, United National Movement, Coalition for Change, and opposition parties For Georgia and Lelo have stated they do not recognize the results of the parliamentary elections.
International observers noted that the Georgian parliamentary elections were marked by deep polarization, highly contentious campaign rhetoric, and numerous reports of voter intimidation.
The informal European Council meeting, gathering heads of state and government leaders from EU member countries, will take place in Budapest on November 8.