OSCE Lead Observer Questions Validity of Georgian Elections
By Daniel Hollingsworth
January 11, 2008 | Printer Friendly

Despite initial reports by the OSCE that Georgia’s Presidential election held on January 5 was “in essence consistent with most OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards for democratic elections,” the validity of the vote has come into question, as Deutsche Welle reports that on January 10, Dieter Boden, the head of the OSCE observer mission, said “there was crass, negligent and deliberate falsification during the vote counting.”  Voice of America reports that incumbent President Mikhail Saakashvili, who called for the early vote after November protests in Tbilisi, won 52 percent of the vote while his chief opponent, Levan Gachechiladze, finished second with about 26 percent.  The slim majority would return Saakashvili to office without facing an additional round of voting, but opposition parties are calling for a run-off in light of the recent allegations. 

In an interview with the Associated Press, Saakashvili conceded that “there are many aspects that need to be criticized.  This is still a country in transition, this is still not a full-fledged, very well-formed, crystallized society. We still have lots of things to do. But I think we are on the right track and this election has just proved that.”  According to the initial OSCE report, the campaign environment was challenged by “the highly polarized political environment, the lack of trust, the pervasiveness of alleged violations, speculations about post-election demonstrations, and accusations of preparations for a coup.”  It also cited media restrictions following the declaration of a state of emergency in November, especially on Imedi TV, “a popular private channel perceived as pro-opposition,” as a factor limiting the effectiveness of the opposition campaign. 

Even if the results are upheld, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty writes that Saakashvili “is no longer the undisputed master of Georgia’s political universe.”  His previous focus on “big-picture goals like trans-Atlantic integration” will have to shift to “smaller-scale domestic issues, like poverty and infrastructure.”  It adds that while Saakashvili’s goal of NATO membership is not internally divisive as in Ukraine, “Russia, which remains determined to block Tbilisi's NATO goals, is undoubtedly heartened by Saakashvili's electoral wing-clipping and is sure to continue fomenting conflict in the pro-Moscow separatist enclaves of Abhkazia and South Ossetia.”

References:

OSCE: Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions (PDF)

Deutsche Welle: Charges of Fraud Surface in Georgian Election

Voice of America: Georgian Elections

International Herald Tribune: President Saakashvili says Georgia is on way to democracy (AP)

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Georgia: With New Political Landscape, Can Stability Prevail?