Tuesday, June 10 2014

Tbilisi. The Interagency Commission for Free and Fair
Elections will respond to incidents, that have occurred on the threshold of the
local elections in Georgia on June 15 and caused the concern of the U.S.
Embassy in Georgia, First Deputy Foreign Minister  of Georgia, David Zalkaliani stated on
Monday, June 9.

"I have got acquainted with the USA's
statement. I am sure the Interagency Commission at the Georgian Government will
respond. This is their prerogative to probe into all details and respond
correspondingly.  The Foreign Ministry's
representative has been included into the commission. In my opinion, the c omission
works rather successfully. In any case, till recently everything testified to
it. Its (commission's ) activity is very transparent. They (members of the
commission) visit regions, each case is being responded to immediately",
Zalkaliani said.

The U.S. Embassy in Georgia expressed its
concern over frequent incidents on the threshold of the local elections,
scheduled for June 15 in Georgia.

"We are increasingly concerned about
reports of campaign incidents and allegations of government pressure on
candidates to withdraw and of opposition aggression toward election officials
in certain specific locations prior to the June 15 municipal elections",
is said in the U.S. Embassy.

The U.S. Embassy called  on the authorities to objectively investigate
these allegations and take steps, both technically and politically, to ensure
that the high standards recognized by the international community in the last
two elections are met in these upcoming elections. 

"It is important for the government,
each and every party, and every electoral district to play their part in
consolidating the highest standards of democracy in this region", reads
the statement.

               The
elections of local councils (sakrebulo), local administrations and mayors of 12
self-government cities, including the capital, will be held in Georgia on June
15. The situation in the country tenses with every passing day before the
elections. Some incidents occurred in regions of the country during last days,
they are mainly connected with the former ruling party United National
Movement, which accuses the authorities and the ruling coalition Georgian Dream
of "the campaign of outrageous pressure".

               On
June 6, a scandal broke out in Marneuli district election commission (Kvemo
Kartli region), after candidate from the former ruling party United National
Movement (UNM) Akmamed Imamkuliev was withdrawn from a registration list.
Imamkuliev ran to local government bodies at the upcoming local elections. Last
Friday a group of persons burst into the UNM office  in Zugdidi and demanded from candidate from
the party Tengiz Gunava to withdraw his candidature. On Saturday, a   heated argument between political opponents
grew into a fight - persons with a status "former political
prisoners" came to the meeting of the 
representatives of the former ruling party with the electors.