OSCE elections chief visits Georgia, urging inclusive and transparent preparations of parliamentary polls

TBILISI, 11 March 2008 - The Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Ambassador Christian Strohal, today urged both government and opposition leaders in Georgia to make best use of the remaining time until the forthcoming parliamentary elections and agree on outstanding legislative changes required to improve the electoral framework.

"There is little time left to finalize the necessary legal amendments to address remaining inconsistencies and gaps in the election code - therefore, it is highly important that this process takes place in an inclusive and transparent manner to increase confidence and trust by all stakeholders in the electoral process," Strohal said as he concluded a two-day visit to Georgia.

"We welcome efforts by the international community to contribute to enhancing the capacity of the election administration through training and technical assistance."

The ODIHR final report on the 5 January presidential election, released last week, concluded that the election was in essence consistent with most OSCE commitments but also identified significant shortcomings. The report includes recommendations on how to improve the legislative framework and other aspects of the electoral process, such as the election administration and the campaign environment.

"We expect authorities to show strong commitment to address the shortcomings highlighted in the report and make further progress towards ensuring conditions conducive for elections in line with OSCE commitments," Strohal said. "Political will at all levels to conduct genuinely democratic elections will be of fundamental importance in the electoral process."

During his visit, Strohal met with Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze, Foreign Minister David Bakradze, as well as with representatives of the opposition, civil society, the media and the election administration.

The ODIHR has been invited to monitor the parliamentary elections expected to be held in May 2008. It is planning to deploy an observation mission.