OSCE PA President urges Georgia to hold separate parliamentary and presidential elections

MAASTRICHT, 2 December 2003 - OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Bruce George stressed the importance of forthcoming elections in Georgia and said it would be not be possible to hold parliamentary elections on the same day as the presidential election, which is planned for 4 January.

"It will be absolutely impossible to organize parliamentary elections along with the presidential elections on 4 January," he said at a meeting with Acting Georgian President Nino Burjanadze at the 11th OSCE Ministerial Council in Maastricht.

"If the forthcoming elections do not meet international standards, it will be detrimental to the international credibility of the democratization process in Georgia," he added.

"The international Community has pledged to help, politically and financially, the organization of the forthcoming elections. Enough time is needed to establish a credible electoral administration and to eliminate the corrupt electoral culture of the past."

Acting President Burjanadze said the parliamentary elections will be arranged as soon as technically possible.

Bruce George will lead OSCE parliamentary observers to the presidential election on 4 January.

Ms. Burjanadze is also a Vice-President of the OSCE PA. Three other Vice-Presidents, Alcee Hastings (USA), Giovanni Kessler (Italy) and Nevzat Yalcintas (Turkey) also attended the meeting.