Georgian PM says one month was “realistically enough time” for OSCE/ODIHR to deploy to Georgia ahead of upcoming local elections

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday said there was realistically enough time - one month - for the OSCE/ODIHR to deploy to Georgia ahead of the upcoming local elections scheduled for October 4, though he acknowledged the challenges the mission had faced.

In his remarks, Kobakhidze noted that extending an invitation one month before elections was a standard practice.

“In reality, one month was sufficient for the OSCE/ODIHR to deploy to Georgia. Considering the difficulties, the insults, and the many misfortunes the OSCE/ODIHR experienced in Georgia, I understand that their motivation was not particularly high”, the PM said.

“There is an example of the Czech Republic: the invitation was sent exactly one month in advance, on September 2. The mission’s report notes that they were expecting the invitation, and they had not yet been invited. Let me remind you that for the [Georgian] presidential elections held on January 5, 2008, the OSCE/ODIHR was invited on December 6, 2007. One month was enough then as well. So there is no speculation here - one month was realistically sufficient for the OSCE/ODIHR to come to Georgia”, Kobakhidze concluded.

The Georgian Government sent an official invitation to the OSCE/ODIHR on September 6 to observe the October 4 local elections. The Czech Government had issued a similar invitation earlier, on September 2, ahead of its own elections scheduled for October 3. On September 9, the OSCE/ODIHR announced that due to limited time, it would not deploy an observation mission to Georgia.