On Monday 29 October evening, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service hailed the holding of the first round of presidential elections in Georgia the previous day (see EUROPE 12127).
In a press release, the spokesperson picked up on the preliminary conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission, which said the elections were "competitive and professionally administered", giving Georgian voters a genuine voice.
However, "some shortcomings were noted throughout the campaign and on the election day", the EEAS spokesperson stated, calling for these shortcomings to be addressed based on the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations. The spokesperson mentioned instances of misuse of administrative resources, sharp polarisation of the private media, negative campaigning and harsh rhetoric.
"Ensuring high democratic standards throughout the entire electoral process, including the second round, remains key", the spokesperson said, adding that it is important that all parties continue to adhere to democratic principles and to respect the will of the Georgian people.
Salomé Zourabichvili, who received 38.64% of the votes, will be up against Grigol Vachadzé (37.74% of the votes) for the second round of the presidential elections. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)