Travel & Destination Guide

The Kazakhstan-led Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has deployed several of its members to take part and observe Georgia’s upcoming local government elections on May 30.

OSCE’s participation in Georgia’s local elections was confirmed by several representatives of Georgia’s opposition parties. These groups of representatives met with Kazakhstan’s foreign minister, Kanat Saudabayev, who currently serves as the chairperson for the OSCE. The meeting, which was held last February 17, covered the issue regarding the OSCE’s planned observation in the Georgian elections.

Aside from Georgia’s upcoming elections, Saudabayev and the representatives of Georgia’s opposition parties have also discussed about the security and democracy in Georgia. According to Nika Laliashvili, a representative from Georgia’s Christian Democrats party, Kazakhstan-led OSCE has confirmed its intention to intensify its operations in Georgia in order to secure fair elections.

Kanat Saudabayev believes that the upcoming local election in Georgia will bring several opportunities to the country to demonstrate its commitment to political pluralism as well as its intention to abide by the standards set by the international community in order to attain a truly democratic and fair election process. With that, the OSCE chairman accepts the invitation given by the authorities of Georgia to the OSCE’s office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to take part and observe its election rights.

Nestan Kirtadze, the international secretary of the Labour Party, says that authorities need to pay attention in order to ensure free and fair elections in Georgia. Aside from that, the Georgia also needs a proper background for the development of its democracy. Kirtadze also suggests the initiation of an international conference in order to tackle several conflict issues that involve Georgia. According to her, the conference will support the country’s democracy as well as its sovereignty as a state.