Statement by ISFED:

The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) would like to respond to the accusations voiced by the Chairman of Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze regarding alleged falsification of the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) results that was once again reiterated after an unsuccessful end of the EU-mediated dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition. 

It is highly unacceptable that the ruling party is continuously trying to damage the organization’s reputation with groundless allegations. ISFED believes that these efforts are aimed at pressuring and paralyzing the organization, as well as at discrediting the idea of election observation, observer organizations, and the civil society in general. Such a rhetoric is not accidental and intends to divert the public attention away from primary concerns. 

ISFED has clarified the PVT-related details a number of times previously and provided the public with relevant information. It is worth noting again, that for the last 18 years, the organization has been conducting the PVT with the involvement of highly reputable international experts. The process is carried out in a completely unbiased manner and is free of political influences. The long-standing public trust and continued support ofinternational partners towards the organization is a testament of this. 

The organization would also like to stress that attempts to instrumentalize the technical error found in the PVT results is unacceptable. ISFED’s corrections of the results and the ensuing leadership change was a demonstration of the organization’s highest standard of responsibility.

ISFED would like to call on the ruling party to put an end to the attacks and channel the efforts for diffusing the ongoing political crisis in the country.