Georgian Parliament Speaker says EU disregarded OSCE/ODIHR report on 2024 elections

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday accused Brussels of misleading the Georgian public over the 2024 parliamentary elections, saying that October 26, 2024, would go down in history as a day of shame for the European Union and its institutions.

He made the remarks in response to a question from a journalist representing an opposition-affiliated television channel about Brussels’ recognition of the legitimacy of the Georgian Dream government.

“October 26, 2024, will remain a day of shame for Brussels. Before the elections, Brussels said that the OSCE/ODIHR report would be decisive in its assessment of the vote. Brussels deceived and betrayed the Georgian people. It took the OSCE/ODIHR report and, instead of relying on it, threw it in the trash”, Papuashvili said.

Papuashvili argued that the government’s legitimacy was demonstrated by its performance and its fulfillment of the mandate given to it by voters. He pointed to Georgia’s economic growth, declining unemployment and poverty rates, rising wages, and a reduction in the number of people receiving social assistance.

“You may refuse to recognize something within your own circle of friends, but you can see the government and Parliament of Georgia, which have been governing this country for two years. They have done so successfully, with our economic growth rate exceeding that of any EU member state or candidate country. In terms of declining unemployment and poverty, rising wages, and a reduction in the number of people dependent on social assistance, Georgia has achieved results unparalleled in the entire 30-year history of its independence. This is the main issue of legitimacy. We are fulfilling the mandate given to us by our voters”, he said.

Papuashvili described the 2024 parliamentary elections as a turning point in what he characterized as foreign interference in Georgia’s domestic affairs and electoral process.

He alleged that, contrary to claims of Russian interference in the elections, European countries had intervened and attempted to disrupt the vote.

“October 26 will remain a day of shame for certain European countries and Brussels, when they acted using Soviet methods and attempted to interfere in another country’s elections, change its government, and bring their own proxies to power. We should remember October 26, 2024, every year as a disgrace for the European Union and Brussels over their interference in another country’s elections”, Papuashvili said.

He added that the events had taught Georgia that national interests must take precedence over assumptions about which countries are friends or allies.

“When it comes to national interests, the distinction between friend and foe can be relative. Even a country considered a friend may sideline your interests in favor of its own to such an extent that it causes irreparable harm. This is the lesson we learned in 2024”, he said.

Papuashvili also alleged that international pressure had been exerted on the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in an attempt to influence its assessment of the elections.

According to the Parliament Speaker, on the day after the October 26 vote, while international observer missions were preparing to present their findings, delegations from the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe directly pressured the OSCE/ODIHR mission to produce a report that met their expectations.

“This was interference in the elections and an attempt to falsify the assessment”, Papuashvili stressed.

He recalled that, before the elections, the EU and Brussels had pledged to make the OSCE/ODIHR assessment the decisive factor in evaluating the vote.

Papuashvili said the OSCE/ODIHR subsequently published its report, and its leadership stated that the elections had taken place, that Georgia had a Parliament and a government, and that Parliament should continue governing the country in accordance with its responsibilities and commitments.

“Brussels deceived and betrayed the Georgian people. It took the OSCE/ODIHR report and, instead of relying on it, threw it in the trash. This is the day on which the European Union deceived the Georgian people”, he said.

According to Papuashvili, Brussels had hoped to bring about a change of government in Georgia by influencing or discrediting the OSCE/ODIHR report, but the effort had failed.

“They did not succeed. The report stated that the elections had taken place”, he concluded.