The US Ambassador to Georgia said Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chairmsn of the Central Election Commission [CEC], and his team were committed to helping ensure the upcoming parliamentary elections were “free and fair”.

“I have to say I’ve been extremely impressed by the CEC. The Chairman of the CEC, and the team at the CEC, and we’ve worked with them very closely - we support their work, have been very dedicated technical professionals who I believe are committed to helping ensure the elections are free and fair and that people know their ballots are secret and that people come out and vote.

I also commend the Government for welcoming long-term and short-term observers. They have welcomed the OSCE/ODIHR long-term observation mission, IRI and NDI - 2 organisations that we have supported. They’ve welcomed their long-term observers, as well as other long-term observers. And they have accredited local civil society organisations who will be sending local observers. So, the Government has committed to doing that and they’ve done that. So, we were relieved to see the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s decision reversed, their decision not to claim that a particular NGO was engaged in electoral processes because that will allow this NGO to do local observation.

I have seen, we have seen positive steps from the Government, from the CEC, and from civil society and that’s critical to indicate that the elections - we hope - will be free and fair, and we’ll have observers to help ensure that. But people also need to know that their vote will be secret. And in our view, it’s a sacred democratic right and civic duty to vote in a democracy. That’s when your voice can be heard. And I hope people vote”, - said Robin Dunnigan in her interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.