| Elections – Test of Democracy |
| Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 9 Oct.'03 / 10:22 Tea Gularidze, Civil Georgia |
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| The U.S warns the stakes for Georgia in the upcoming elections are high |
A delegation of high-ranking U.S. politicians paid two-day visit to Tbilisi to observe pre-election processes in the country. They reiterated that the November 2 Elections are of crucial importance for the future of Georgia and the future of the U.S.-Georgian relations.
The delegation, dispatched in Georgia by the U.S. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) included: John Shalikashvili, former Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff; Strobe Talbott, former Deputy U.S. Secretary of State; Sam Gejdenson, former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives; Brooke Shearer, former U.S. Interior Department Senior Advisor; and Patrick Merloe, NDI Senior Associate and Director of Electoral Programs.
“In case of free and fair elections, the country will be able to achieve greater political stability and will more easily integrate into the community of democracies. If these elections fail to meet Georgia’s domestic legal requirements and its international commitments to hold genuinely democratic elections, the country’s representative institutions will face a crisis of confidence, and Georgia will suffer a serious blow to its international standing,” Patrick Merloe, NDI Senior Associate and Director of Electoral Programs, said at a news briefing on October 7.
The delegation held meetings with all the leading opposition parties, as well as with President Shevardnadze and Chairperson of the Central Election Commission Nana Devdariani to get acquainted with the pre-election preparations. The opposition leaders informed the former U.S. officials regarding the anticipated ballot rigging, as they claim, planned by the authorities.
“If the government, or those forces empowered by the government, damages these elections, they must understand that what they are doing is in fact damaging Georgia and its people,” Patrick Merloe said.
The U.S. delegation emphasized that Georgia, which has vital importance for the U.S. in the region, suffered a setback in democratic development in recent years. However, as Strobe Talbott said, the country still has a chance to improve the situation on November 2.
“Friends of Georgia in the United States have worried about Georgian democracy in the past, particularly in 1995-1999. Because you are strong and determined you have another chance and you deserve another chance on November 2,” he said.
“More than other countries in this region, you [Georgia] are in the focus of international attention, international hopes,” Strobe Talbott added.
The U.S. delegation condemned the facts of violence during the election campaign of the opposition parties and called on the authorities to ensure freedom of association, political expression and peaceful assembly.
The delegation expressed concern over the recent pronouncements, which compelled parties and candidates to notify before organizing rallies and were interpreted by some as the requirement for prior approval by local authorities. President Shevardnadze said on October 6 that a law on manifestations is to be enforced to maintain order in the country.
“We’ve heard interpretations of requirements on meetings and rallies that could restrict freedom of political expression and assembly. It is our hope that further clearer gaudiness will be provided to ensure full freedom of expression. It is also important to ensure neutrality of the state authority and neutrality of use of state resources,” Strobe Talbott said.
“If the elections fail to be free and fair in Georgia it will affect the relations with the western country, particularly with our [the U.S.] government and Georgia’s aspirations to be integrated into the western democratic nations will suffer a setback,” John Shalikashvili said.
The U.S. former officials also recommended the Georgian authorities and political parties to ensure accurate voter registry list in order to prevent ballot fraud. The delegation was informed by the opposition parties and the election observer organizations that a huge number of voter lists had not been posted to the polling stations yet to be checked by the citizens and there are inaccuracies in the lists.
The delegation members expressed hope that 500 foreign observers, dispatched by the international organizations, would facilitate proper holding of elections. The delegation believes that the observers are especially needed in the regions, populated by ethnic Azeris in Kvemo Kartli, areas with concentrations of internally displaced persons and in the Adjarian Autonomous Republic.
During the meeting with the U.S. delegation President Shevardnadze expressed confidence that the elections in Georgia would be free and fair. Eduard Shevardnadze said that these elections were the last chance for Georgia.
“You have the right and you need to tell us the truth. Nobody wants these elections to be conducted in a proper way more than I do. This is the last chance for us to show you that the country should not depart from the principles of democratic development,” President Shevardnadze said.
Despite Eduard Shevardnadze’s assurance, many local observers believe that the authorities, that suffer a blow for public confidence, will try to rig the election results anyway. “There is too much at stake for them [authorities] too. They have got used to be in the government and will do their best to keep their seats,” Ia Antadze of Radio Liberty says.
Strobe Talbot said at a news briefing in Tbilisi that the Georgian government should get over the fact that after the elections “some people might lose their jobs.” “One of the rules of the game in democracy is that the governments come and go,” he added.