Biden makes a statement about the elections in Georgia: calls for investigation of all violations
Kyiv • UNN
The US President announced numerous violations and abuses during the October 26 parliamentary elections in Georgia. He called on the authorities to investigate the violations, repeal the law on foreign agents, and start a dialogue with the opposition.
US President Joe Biden said that the elections in Georgia were "marred by numerous documented abuses of administrative resources" and called for a transparent investigation of all violations and the abolition of the law on foreign agents, UNN reports.
Biden recalled that the United States has long stood by the Georgian people and supported the sovereignty, territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Georgia.
"That is why I have been deeply concerned about the recent democratic backsliding in the country, including the adoption of legislation mirroring Russian laws that restrict fundamental freedoms and limit space for independent civil society organizations. Most recently, Georgia's October 26 parliamentary elections were marred by numerous reported abuses of administrative resources, as well as voter intimidation and coercion," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
According to him, "Georgian citizens have the right to peacefully express their opinion on the elections, which independent international and domestic observers did not call free and fair.
"We call on the Georgian government to transparently investigate all election violations, repeal laws such as the so-called 'Foreign Influence Law' that restrict freedom of assembly and expression, and begin an immediate inclusive dialogue with all political forces in Georgia to restore the integrity of the election. We call on all parties to strictly respect the rule of law and fundamental freedoms that remain the foundation of Georgia's Euro-Atlantic future," Biden concluded.
Context
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili called the results of the parliamentary elections totally falsified and refused to recognize them.
Recall
Georgia's Central Election Commission rejected the opposition's demand to make voter lists public because of the risk of personal data leakage. The opposition insists on opening a database to verify possible election fraud.
