PACE representatives: We are deeply concerned that "Transparency International - Georgia" is forced to end its election observation activities due to the unfortunate decision of the Anti-Corruption Bureau

We are deeply concerned by the fact that "Transparency International - Georgia" was forced to end its election observation activities due to the regrettable decision of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, - the co-rapporteurs of the PACE Georgia observation mission announced.

"We are deeply concerned by the fact that "Transparency International - Georgia" was forced to end its election monitoring activities due to the anti-corruption bureau's deplorable decision to declare this public organization and its director as "entities with an electoral purpose. This seems to confirm the concern expressed by the Assembly in a recent resolution that "reputable civil society organizations with long and extensive experience in election observation may no longer be able to observe elections. This is unacceptable and undermines public confidence in the democratic nature of the electoral process. Therefore, we call on the relevant authorities to ensure the legitimacy of these elections and take all necessary measures so that "Transparency International - Georgia", as well as other public organizations, can observe the elections without interfering in their work," the statement said.

For information, "Transparency International - Georgia" will no longer observe the October 26 elections on behalf of the organization, although it is going to fight for the protection of votes individually. The reason for this is the decision of the anti-corruption bureau, which recognized "Transparency International - Georgia" and personally the executive director Eka Gigauri as entities with declared election goals.