The OSCE/ODIHR’s final assessment of the October 26 elections provides a legal and logical basis for fulfilling the demands of the vast majority of the public and the pro-Western, democratic opposition to schedule new elections. This is stated in a joint statement by four opposition parties.

As the opposition parties note, the evaluation of the 2024 elections is "historically the most negative conclusion" that the organization has ever written about elections held in Georgia.

The parties emphasize that, according to the OSCE/ODIHR’s conclusion, the October 26 elections failed to ensure the realization of citizens' constitutional right to vote.

"OSCE/ODIHR has been monitoring the electoral process in Georgia for many years. The evaluation of the 2024 elections is historically the most negative conclusion the organization has ever written about elections in Georgia.

According to OSCE/ODIHR’s conclusion, the October 26 elections failed to ensure the realization of citizens' constitutional right to vote.

The conclusion points out that the combination of voter intimidation, media bias, unequal conditions, and violations of ballot secrecy clearly indicates that the elections did not meet fundamental democratic standards or the OSCE commitments necessary for conducting free and fair elections.

The illegitimate government of Georgia, led by Bidzina Ivanishvili, has been deceiving Georgian voters since October 26, suggesting that OSCE/ODIHR's final conclusion could legitimize the power usurpation by the Georgian Dream. However, today’s conclusion and the accompanying recommendations confirm the illegitimacy of the election results, providing grounds for holding new elections.

Specifically, OSCE/ODIHR’s conclusion explains that the organization’s mandate does not involve determining the legitimacy of elections. It can only assess the compliance of the electoral process with international standards. The fact that this issue is highlighted in the document and presented in such a manner by an organization that typically does not use this terminology in its conclusions indicates a legitimacy deficit.

As for the electoral process itself, which is assessed according to OSCE/ODIHR's mandate, it was evaluated as sharply negative, with numerous violations, including violations of the fundamental principle of secrecy of the vote.

OSCE’s conclusion unequivocally states that there was no trust in the electoral process from the voters, which manifested in the political crisis after the elections, in mass protests that were violently suppressed, with violations of citizens' fundamental rights.

The conclusion specifically highlights the following violations and negative circumstances:

• Recent legislation, known as the "Russian law," which had a negative effect on fundamental freedoms and civil society;
• Politicization of institutions involved in the electoral process for electoral purposes;
• Voter pressure and intimidation, where voters were limited in voting without fear of retaliation;
• Massive violations of ballot secrecy, including video recording of the voting process to control voters' choices, which undermined public trust in the elections;
• Inadequate handling of complaints and lack of access to legal remedies after the elections;
• Violent suppression of protests, including arrests and brutal treatment of participants;
• Polarization and instrumentalization of the media, limiting informed choice for voters;
• Inadequate monitoring of political funding and significant resource imbalance in favor of the ruling party;
• Special pressure on public officials;
• Ineffectiveness of mechanisms for responding to electoral violations.

OSCE/ODIHR’s final assessment of the October 26 elections provides a legal and logical basis for fulfilling the demands of the vast majority of the public and the pro-Western, democratic opposition to schedule new elections," the statement concludes.