02 January 2008, 15:26
Over 1000 foreign observers intend to monitor elections in Georgia
The monitoring of the forthcoming elections in Georgia will be conducted by more than 1000 foreigners - representatives of the OSCE, EU (European Union), Council of Europe, CIS, as well as from countries of Europe, America and Asia.
Up to one hundred observers will be sent to the country directly by the Office of Democratic Institutes and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the OSCE, the "New Region" reports. In total, up to 500 ODIHR observers from 44 countries, including Russia, will monitor the elections.
David Kramer, Deputy Assistant of the US Secretary of State for the region of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, has stated in his exclusive interview to the "Caucasian Knot" that the United States hope that the government of Georgia will ensure the fairness of the forthcoming elections, freedom of all the mass media, equal "rules of the game" for all candidates, and absence of intimidation.
Today, a group of deputies of the Estonian Parliament will arrive to the country with the aim to monitor the electoral process. The press service of the Parliament has reported that in total 20 Estonian MPs, making one fifth of the total composition (101 members) of the Estonian supreme legislative body, will come to Georgia.
Yesterday, two members of the oppositional Centrist Party arrived to Georgia by air, and today the remaining 18 MPs will join them, the "News-Georgia" reports.
