OSCE Mission to Georgia helps audit voter lists and build capacity of Central Election Commission

TBILISI, 22 November 2006 - The final results of an OSCE-sponsored project to monitor and audit Georgia's voter lists was presented to the public today.

"Accurate voter lists are essential for fair elections," said Ambassador Roy Reeve, Head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia, at the presentation in Tbilisi, which was organized by the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED).

"The Georgian authorities have taken on board recommendations from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and are enlisting international and national assistance to improve the accuracy of the existing lists," he said.

The Central Election Commission had started its first comprehensive update of the voters' lists earlier this year. The OSCE Mission supported ISFED in monitoring this process, which included receiving data from the relevant ministries, checking of data in passport offices, and a door-to-door campaign.

The 75,000 Euro project, which started in April 2006, was co-funded by the OSCE Mission and the German Government. Technical assistance was provided by the National Democratic Institute.

Ambassador Reeve also announced the start of a three-week programme run by the OSCE Mission to strengthen professionalism, transparency and independence of the Central Election Commission.

"Experts from the OSCE and the Council of Europe will help the Commission examine lessons learned from the experience of recent local elections, and elaborate an action plan for the parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for autumn 2008," he said.

To help the CEC improve its efficiency and communications, the experts will assist the commission with analysing its management and communication systems, and its employment practices.

Both initiatives are part of a wider democratization programme developed by the OSCE Mission in close co-operation with other international organizations and others involved in election issues in the country.