Giorgi Sharabidze, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), held briefing today.

“We wish to address the recent surge in the campaign of discrediting and harassing the CEC Chairperson, which has intensified significantly over the past few days. The event at the November 16 meeting, the ongoing bullying campaign on social media, the invasion of personal space, and the actions at the residence have far exceeded the bounds of civil protest and ethical conduct.

The election administration recognizes that, as in previous years, these personal attacks once again demonstrate that the authors of the discrediting and bullying campaign lack substantive arguments to support their allegations about the elections. The public is well aware that the election administration took the initiative to uncover the truth behind all allegations, which is why we formally requested the prosecutor’s office to launch an investigation. However, it appears that the interested parties unable to substantiate their accusations of election fraud with facts are resorting to personal attacks, discrediting campaigns, and offensive actions to shape public perception in their favor. This is especially true given that, despite some concerns, international monitoring organizations have assessed the election administration’s activities and its handling of the elections positively in their preliminary reports and evaluations.

Based on the above, we hope that international partners will not overlook this incident, will include their positions on the matter in their final reports, and will prevent the establishment of a precedent for interference in the work of independent election administrators, as we are currently witnessing in Georgia.

Otherwise, it may be seen as an acceptable course of action by various involved parties, which could have a negative, harmful, and lasting impact on the independence and functioning of election commissions - not only in Georgia but also on election commissions worldwide. Based on the above, we urge international organizations, diplomatic corps to assess the incident and publicly clarify how it aligns with international and European standards of protest.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our foreign colleagues and representatives of election administrations from other countries for their support and solidarity. Their support is crucial for safeguarding the independence of election administrators and ensuring a safe and conducive election environment, both in Georgia and globally.

Despite the challenges of disinformation, pressure, the election administration remains committed to upholding democratic principles, transparency, and accountability”, - said Giorgi Sharabidze.