The Central Election Commission responds to the allegations made by the President of Georgia regarding the October 26 elections, “which appear to be a continuation of the disinformation and manipulation campaign driven by specific political interests. Statements that the elections were rigged or did not take place are completely unsubstantiated and represent a politically motivated disregard for the factual circumstances.”

“We would like to emphasize once again that there are no confirmed facts or evidence that there were any violations during the parliamentary elections that could have had a significant impact on the final results of these elections. Nevertheless, the President of Georgia, unfortunately, repeats the propaganda narrative of some interested representatives and thereby tries to discredit the elections and, consequently, the election administration at the local and international levels, thereby contributing to even greater tension in an already polarized environment.

Although there were certain remarks, shortcomings or concerns in the election process, it is noteworthy that the election administration administered the October 26 elections at a highly professional level and in full compliance with the legislation, which, at least, is confirmed in the recently published assessment of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission. We also expressed our full readiness, within our competence, to consider and, to the extent possible, take into account all recommendations made to ensure the improvement of the election process. We are absolutely convinced that now is the time to initiate such a process and discuss it in a calm environment between the parties involved, and not to try to bring even greater intensity.

We would also like to remind the public that after the announcement of the results of the October 26 elections, based on the widespread statements regarding “alleged fraud”, the election administration itself addressed the authorized agency and requested the initiation of an investigation to objectively assess the widespread claims. As far as is known from publicly available information, no one has presented any substantial or concrete evidence of the allegations made so far.

We once again call on the President and all interested persons making such allegations to present relevant, substantiated evidence or to refrain from spreading unsubstantiated/unfounded and misleading statements that undermine public trust in the election process.

The election administration remains a firm defender of the standard of transparency and accountability. Any disinformation will be followed by a factual and comprehensive response to ensure that the public is accurately informed about the integrity of the election process. We call on all stakeholders to act responsibly and contribute to strengthening, not undermining, trust in Georgia's democratic institutions”, reads the statement.