Georgian Parliament official highlights importance of OSCE Sec Gen’s statement on opposition’s boycot

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament and Head of Georgia's Permanent Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, on Thursday highlighted the importance of the OSCE Secretary General’s statement, who called on domestic opposition to sit in parliament and work.

In his remarks after yesterday's session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Samkharadze noted that it was becoming clear to many people what processes were taking place in Georgia.

“The statement of the OSCE Secretary General was very important, saying that the opposition, which has received more than 40 percent of the votes, should sit in parliament and work in parliament”, Samkharadze said.

“I would also like to respond to the statement of the head of the Swiss delegation, who himself attended the elections. He said publicly, at the Assembly session, that when they gathered the observers the next morning to discuss how the [parliamentary] elections were conducted, everyone said that the elections were conducted very well. In this regard, it becomes clear to many people what processes were taking place in Georgia”, he concluded .

Feridun Sinirlioğlu, the Secretary General of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, on Wednesday stated during his address at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's annual session in Portugal that an opposition holding 40 percent representation in the Georgian Parliament but failing to utilise it was an unfair treatment of the electorate.

Daniel Fässler, the Head of the Swiss Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, on Wednesday said the parliamentary elections in Georgia were perfectly organized, fair, and free from any violations. He added that the election results simply did not please many European countries.