The lack of a timely invitation to allow for meaningful observation of Georgia’s upcoming local elections by OSCE/ODIHR is regrettable, - reads a statement posted by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the social platform X.

“The lack of a timely invitation to allow for meaningful observation of Georgia’s upcoming local elections by OSCE/ODIHR is regrettable. Recent amendments to Georgia’s electoral legislation jeopardise election integrity. Meanwhile, repression against civil society and opposition continues.

Georgia authorities need to restore trust in democratic institutions, including by implementing OSCE electoral recommendations”, reads the statement.

For information, the OSCE/ODIHR will not send a mission to Georgia for the elections. As the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) stated, inviting observers to Georgia at such a short notice before the elections makes effective observation impossible. In particular, the OSCE/ODIHR statement notes that the Georgian authorities’ invitation of observers to the local elections scheduled for October 4 less than a month before the election day does not leave enough time for reliable and meaningful observation. As the OSCE/ODIHR The director stated the ODIHR will not be able to send an election observation mission to Georgia.