Brussels, 08/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - The EU has congratulated Georgia on the peaceful conduct of the presidential elections on 5 January, and noted the preliminary findings and conclusions of the International Elections Observation Mission. The Mission concluded that the elections were in essence consistent with most international commitments, although there were some identified shortcomings (allegations of intimidation and pressure during the campaign, and weaknesses in the vote-counting procedure, notably). According to the latest figures, published before all the votes had been counted by the Georgian electoral commission, Mikhail Saakashvili has been re-elected after the first round, with 52% of votes cast.
In a statement published on Monday 7 January, the Slovenian presidency called on the Georgian authorities to ensure that all complaints were adequately and urgently addressed. In a separate press release, EU high representative for the CFSP Javier Solana also said that, once all the votes had been counted, all allegations of irregularities should be properly investigated. “All political forces should maintain a dialogue in order to deal with the challenges ahead, including those identified by international observers, before the parliamentary elections in the spring,” he added. The European Parliament delegation, led by French Green MEP Marie-Anne Isler-Béguin also welcomed the presidential elections in Georgia on 5 January, but expressed concern by the conduct of the election campaign. The distinction between state activities and the former president's campaign had sometimes been unclear, and this had contributed to an inequitable campaign environment, the delegation said in a press release. The Parliamentary delegation also reaffirmed the strong commitment of the European Union to stability, democracy and prosperity in Georgia as promoted by the European Neighbourhood Policy, and felt that the attitude and choices of the elected President would be fundamental in this regard. (A.B.)