The Group of Observers from the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development – GUAM was invited to the elections for the Georgian Parliament, which took place on October 1, 2012. The Group included deputies from the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including Mr. Elton Mammedov (the Chairman of the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly and the head of this group), Ali Masimli and Mirkazim Kazimov, and also a Deputy of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Mr. Vasily Potapov. The Group was supervised by the Secretary General of GUAM, Mr. Valeriy Chechelashvili.ч
Based on the results of observing 74 (seventy-four) polling sites in the Mtatsmindskiy, Vakiyskiy, Saburtalinskiy, Chuguretskiy, Didubiyskiy, Nadzaladevskiy and Krtsanisskiy electoral precincts in the city of Tbilisi, and also electoral precincts in the cities of Mtskheta, Marneuli and Rustavi, the Group of Observers from GUAM decided to issue the following statement:
The Parliamentary Elections in Georgia were organised and held in accordance with international commitments and the standards for democratic elections, including commitments and standards in relation to the OSCE and the Council of Europe, and also national legislation and the rules and procedures, which were elaborated by the Georgian Central Election Commission.
With respect to the overall election process, and the organisation of elections and commission activities at the polling sites, the Group of GUAM Observers does not have any essential remarks. The elections were held in a spirit of competition and generally can be positively evaluated as being free and legitimate.
Tbilisi, October 2, 2012
