Georgian PM slams ignored OSCE/ODIHR parliamentary election report ahead of local elections

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said the OSCE/ODIHR observed the 2024 parliamentary elections and issued a report, but no one paid attention to that report and today, people who ignored the body’s conclusions are now asking for the OSCE/ODIHR to be invited to observe the upcoming local elections.

In his remarks, Kobakhidze noted that generally, it was not customary to invite the OSCE/ODIHR to observe local elections, according to standard practice, as OSCE/ODIHR missions were typically invited to observe parliamentary or nationwide elections.

“Generally, it is not common practice to invite the OSCE/ODIHR to observe local elections. Exceptions do occur - we ourselves made such an exception, for example, in 2021, because in some way those elections were tied to the issue of parliamentary elections. There are also exceptional cases in other countries where the OSCE/ODIHR is invited to local elections, but those are only exceptions”, Kobakhidze said.

“The local self-government elections will be conducted in a completely healthy and proper manner. You know that the OSCE/ODIHR observed the parliamentary elections and issued a relevant report, but no one showed interest in it - and today, the same people who completely ignored that report are asking for the OSCE/ODIHR to be invited”, he concluded.