Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights - Elections

Following an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, received on 26 November 2007, the OSCE/ODIHR deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the extraordinary presidential election on 5 January 2008.

The election was called following a number of political developments in the country and the 8 November 2007 proposal by President Mikheil Saakashvili to hold an early presidential election. The President subsequently stepped down on 25 November 2007 and the election was formally called by the Parliament of Georgia. The president was elected under a first-past-the-post system by an electorate of some 3.4 million voters. The electoral process was regulated by legislation that was significantly amended just over a month before the election.

The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission and the OSCE Mission to Georgia, headed by Ambassador Terhi Hakala, operate separately under their specific mandates.

Long-term observation

The OSCE/ODIHR conducted a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) on 20 and 21 November 2007 in order to assess the conditions and preparations for the election and to advise on the level of ODIHR involvement in the election. The NAM recommended that a standard election observation mission be deployed.

The EOM, headed by Ambassador Dieter Boden of Germany, consisted of 14 international staff based in Tbilisi drawn from 12 OSCE participating States. Twenty-eight long-term observers were deployed throughout the country on 12 December.

The mission assessed the election for its compliance with principles for democratic electoral processes, including commitments agreed to by all the OSCE participating States, as well as national legislation. Observers closely monitored campaign activities, media coverage, the legislative framework and its implementation, the media situation, the work of the election administration and relevant government bodies, and the resolution of election disputes. The monitoring of the coverage of the pre-electoral campaign in the media was an important integral part of the EOM's work.

Simultaneously with the presidential election, two non-binding plebiscites were organized to consult voters on the date for the next parliamentary poll and on NATO membership. The OSCE/ODIHR EOM followed the conduct of the plebiscites only to the extent that they affected the presidential election.

Election day

The OSCE/ODIHR requested 300 short-term observers to be deployed immediately prior to the 5 January election. The short-term observers were deployed throughout the country in multinational teams of two to monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results. The day after the elections, the Election Observation Mission issued a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions. A final report on the observation of the entire electoral process will be issued approximately eight weeks after the end of the observation mission.

Previous elections

The OSCE/ODIHR has observed a number of electoral events in Georgia, including: parliamentary elections in 1999 and 2003, repeat parliamentary elections in 2004, presidential elections in 2000 and 2004, as well as municipal elections in 2006.