Newsroom
Election observation mission being deployed to Georgia
TBILISI 27 September 1999
TBILISI, 27 September 1999 - An Election Observation will be established for the upcoming parliamentary elections being held in Georgia on 31 October 1999. The mission is being established by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), following an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Georgia.
Mr. Nikolai Vulchanov, ODIHR Election Adviser, will head the Election Observation Mission.
The OSCE already has an established presence in Georgia. With the deployment of an Election Observation Mission, for a limited period, three different OSCE operations will be functioning in Georgia independently and concurrently:
OSCE Mission to Georgia
OSCE/ODIHR Technical Assistance Team (TAT)
OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the 1999 parliamentary election
OSCE Mission to Georgia
Established since December 1992, the OSCE Mission to Georgia will carry out its regular activities "to promote negotiations between the conflicting parties in Georgia which are aimed at reaching a peaceful political settlement," as well as to "promote respect for human rights and assist in democratic institution building throughout the country; to monitor and promote free media principles; to facilitate co-operation with and among the parties concerned and, with their consent, to monitor the joint peacekeeping forces established under the Sochi Agreement of 24 June 1992, in order to assess whether their activities are carried out in conformity with OSCE principles."
OSCE/ODIHR Technical Assistance Team
Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the OSCE/ODIHR and the President of Georgia, on 23 November 1998, ODIHR has implemented a number of projects in the country. One such project endeavours to provide assistance to the Central Election Commission of Georgia in training district level election officials. Another project is aimed at training Georgian security forces on their role in the election process. A Technical Assistance Team (TAT) for these projects was established on 17 August 1999.
OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission
The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission (EOM) in Georgia was established with the specific responsibility to observe the parliamentary elections. Based on its standard observation methodology, the EOM will assess compliance of the election process in the country with criteria outlined in the OSCE Copenhagen Document of 1990, as well as with relevant Georgian legislation.
Starting 28 September 1999, long-term observers will be deployed to all regions of Georgia where parliamentary elections will be held. During the course of its observation, the Observation Mission will meet with representatives of political parties; national, provincial and local authorities; all levels of election commissions; non-governmental organizations; and representatives of the media and diplomatic missions. Observers will monitor the election campaign and the balance of media coverage, the administrative preparations for the elections and other aspects of the implementation of a recently amended election law.
OSCE/ODIHR has requested that OSCE participating States provide 150 short-term observers to be deployed shortly before polling day. The short-term observers, including parliamentarians from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and representatives from international governmental and non-governmental organizations, will observe election day procedures including voting, counting of ballots, hand-over of polling station results to District Election Commissions and vote tabulation at district and central levels.
Once the election process is completed, the Election Observation Mission will issue a preliminary statement on its main findings. Within a month after the final tabulation of results, and when the Election Observation Mission has completed its tasks and departed Georgia, a comprehensive final report will be issued.
MEDIA CONTACT: Nikolai Vulchanov, Head of the Election Observation Mission in Georgia, (+995 32 989186) or Emanuele Giaufret, ODIHR Election Officer, Warsaw, Poland (+48 22 520 0600).
Mr. Nikolai Vulchanov, ODIHR Election Adviser, will head the Election Observation Mission.
The OSCE already has an established presence in Georgia. With the deployment of an Election Observation Mission, for a limited period, three different OSCE operations will be functioning in Georgia independently and concurrently:
OSCE Mission to Georgia
OSCE/ODIHR Technical Assistance Team (TAT)
OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the 1999 parliamentary election
OSCE Mission to Georgia
Established since December 1992, the OSCE Mission to Georgia will carry out its regular activities "to promote negotiations between the conflicting parties in Georgia which are aimed at reaching a peaceful political settlement," as well as to "promote respect for human rights and assist in democratic institution building throughout the country; to monitor and promote free media principles; to facilitate co-operation with and among the parties concerned and, with their consent, to monitor the joint peacekeeping forces established under the Sochi Agreement of 24 June 1992, in order to assess whether their activities are carried out in conformity with OSCE principles."
OSCE/ODIHR Technical Assistance Team
Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the OSCE/ODIHR and the President of Georgia, on 23 November 1998, ODIHR has implemented a number of projects in the country. One such project endeavours to provide assistance to the Central Election Commission of Georgia in training district level election officials. Another project is aimed at training Georgian security forces on their role in the election process. A Technical Assistance Team (TAT) for these projects was established on 17 August 1999.
OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission
The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission (EOM) in Georgia was established with the specific responsibility to observe the parliamentary elections. Based on its standard observation methodology, the EOM will assess compliance of the election process in the country with criteria outlined in the OSCE Copenhagen Document of 1990, as well as with relevant Georgian legislation.
Starting 28 September 1999, long-term observers will be deployed to all regions of Georgia where parliamentary elections will be held. During the course of its observation, the Observation Mission will meet with representatives of political parties; national, provincial and local authorities; all levels of election commissions; non-governmental organizations; and representatives of the media and diplomatic missions. Observers will monitor the election campaign and the balance of media coverage, the administrative preparations for the elections and other aspects of the implementation of a recently amended election law.
OSCE/ODIHR has requested that OSCE participating States provide 150 short-term observers to be deployed shortly before polling day. The short-term observers, including parliamentarians from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and representatives from international governmental and non-governmental organizations, will observe election day procedures including voting, counting of ballots, hand-over of polling station results to District Election Commissions and vote tabulation at district and central levels.
Once the election process is completed, the Election Observation Mission will issue a preliminary statement on its main findings. Within a month after the final tabulation of results, and when the Election Observation Mission has completed its tasks and departed Georgia, a comprehensive final report will be issued.
MEDIA CONTACT: Nikolai Vulchanov, Head of the Election Observation Mission in Georgia, (+995 32 989186) or Emanuele Giaufret, ODIHR Election Officer, Warsaw, Poland (+48 22 520 0600).