DRAFT 300916 Programme – Joint Parliamentary Election Observation

DRAFT 300916 programme – joint parliamentary election observation briefings Parliamentary Elections in Georgia, 8 October 2016 6-7 October, 2016 The Biltmor Hotel, Tbilisi Thursday 6 October 11:00-11:20 Mr. Ignacio Sanchez Amor, Special Co-ordinator of the OSCE Short Term Observers Mr. Emanuelis Zingeris, Head of Delegation of the PACE Ms. Ana GOMES, Head of Delegation of the EP Mr. Paolo ALLI, Italy, Head of Delegation of the NATO PA Mr. Guglielmo Picch, Head of Delegation of the OSCE PA 11:20-13:00 ODIHR briefing (political/media/national minority and security) 13:00-14:30 Lunch break 14:30-15:30 ODIHR briefing continued (legal/election admin/voter registration/ candidate registration/observers) 15:30-17:00 Election law and administration panel discussion • Ms. Tamar Zhvania, Chairperson, Central Election Commission (CEC) Confirmed • Mr. Mikheil Benidze, Executive Director, International Society for Fair Elections and Development (ISFED) • Ms. Ana Natsvlishvili, Chairperson, Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) 17:00-17:30 Coffee break 17:30-19:00 Campaign panel: finance and media discussion • Mr. Lasha Tordia, General Auditor, State Audit Office Confirmed • Mr. George Gvimradze, Head of News and Current Affairs, Public broadcaster Confirmed • Mr. Nika Gvaramia, Director General, Rustavi2 Confirmed • Ms. Eka Gigauri, Executive Director, Transparency International Confirmed 19:00 Meeting with drivers and interpreters for the PACE delegates Friday 7 October 09:30-11:30 Political parties panel • Mr. Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Chairperson, Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia • Mr. Davit Bakradze, Chairperson, United National Movement • Mr. Tariel Chulukhadze, State for People Confirmed • Mr. Viktor Dolidze, Board Member of the Free Democrats Confirmed • Ms. Nino Burjanadze, Chairperson, Democratic Movement • Ms. Khatuna Samnidze, Chairperson, Republican Party • Panel discussion among all invited parties (1 hour) 11:30-12:45 ODIHR briefing (forms, statistics and Election Day procedures) 12:45-13:15 Meeting with ODIHR Long-Term Observers from Tbilisi area 13:15 Meeting with drivers and interpreters Saturday 8 October All day Observation Sunday 9 October 08:00 Debriefing 15:00 Press conference .

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Georgia's October 2013 Presidential Election: Outcome and Implications
Georgia’s October 2013 Presidential Election: Outcome and Implications Jim Nichol Specialist in Russian and Eurasian Affairs November 4, 2013 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43299 Georgia’s October 2013 Presidential Election: Outcome and Implications Summary This report discusses Georgia’s October 27, 2013, presidential election and its implications for U.S. interests. The election took place one year after a legislative election that witnessed the mostly peaceful shift of legislative and ministerial power from the ruling party, the United National Movement (UNM), to the Georgia Dream (GD) coalition bloc. The newly elected president, Giorgi Margvelashvili of the GD, will have fewer powers under recently approved constitutional changes. Most observers have viewed the 2013 presidential election as marking Georgia’s further progress in democratization, including a peaceful shift of presidential power from UNM head Mikheil Saakashvili to GD official Margvelashvili. Some analysts, however, have raised concerns over ongoing tensions between the UNM and GD, as well as Prime Minister and GD head Bidzini Ivanishvili’s announcement on November 2, 2013, that he will step down as the premier. In his victory speech on October 28, Margvelashvili reaffirmed Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic foreign policy orientation, including the pursuit of Georgia’s future membership in NATO and the EU. At the same time, he reiterated that GD would continue to pursue the normalization of ties with Russia. On October 28, 2013, the U.S. State Department praised the Georgian presidential election as generally democratic and expressing the will of the people, and as demonstrating Georgia’s continuing commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration.
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