Azerbaijani parliamentarians set to monitor Georgian elections

Members of the Milli Majlis will observe the parliamentary elections in Georgia on October 26.

The delegation will include Arzu Nagiyev, chairman of the Defense, Security, and Anti-Corruption Committee of the Milli Majlis, along with deputies Nizami Safarov, Kamaleddin Gafarov, Hikmet Mammadov, Elshan Musayev, Sahib Aliyev, Anar Mammadov, and Tural Ganjaliyev, who will travel to Tbilisi for the election monitoring, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The Azerbaijani deputies aim to evaluate the level of preparation for the elections in Georgia, assess conditions at polling stations, observe voter participation on election day, and monitor the vote-counting process.

Their visit is scheduled to conclude on October 27.

Georgia's Parliament consists of 150 deputies elected for a four-year term. The previous elections in 2020 utilized a mixed electoral system, with 120 deputies elected through proportional representation and 30 through single-member districts. However, following constitutional amendments enacted on September 26, 2017, future elections will be held under a proportional system with a 5% threshold for parties seeking to enter Parliament.

If no party secures a majority of seats, a coalition government will be necessary. Should the parties fail to meet the requirements within a two-week timeframe, the president can dissolve the parliament and call for new elections.

In 2020, a gender quota of 25% was established, mandating that party lists include women in every fourth position. However, this quota was abolished in April 2024. On February 6, 2023, the Central Election Commission of Georgia implemented a resolution introducing electronic voter registration and voting at most polling stations.

The ruling party, "Georgian Dream," is campaigning for a fourth term in office, with a total of 27 parties registered for the upcoming elections.

For the first time, the elections will employ an electronic voting system, and it is anticipated that approximately 90% of voters will utilize electronic devices available at polling stations.

On October 20, a large-scale march titled "Georgia Chooses the European Union" took place in Tbilisi, aimed at expressing support for the country's pro-Western stance. Participants carried flags of Georgia, the European Union, Ukraine, and various opposition parties, with President Salome Zourabichvili addressing the crowd.

In July, EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski announced that the European Union had suspended Georgia's accession process. The European Council expressed serious concern over recent developments in Georgia, particularly due to the adoption of the "Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence."

This law, likened by the opposition to the "foreign agents" legislation in Russia, was passed by the Georgian parliament in May despite widespread protests. The ruling party successfully pushed the document through on a second attempt.

The law also faced backlash from the United States. In June, the U.S. imposed visa restrictions on dozens of Georgian citizens, including members of parliament and security officials, in response to the law’s adoption.

By Tamilla Hasanova