NDI to Field High-Level Observation Mission for Presidential Election

Today, October 24th, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) announced that the high-level delegation of short-term observers has arrived to observe the Georgian presidential election on October 28th.  This study will build on NDI’s pre-election assessment mission from July of 2018 and the findings of long-term analysts who have been working since September.  

Those heading the delegation are as follows: Dame Audrey Glover, former director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR); Per Eklund, former EU Ambassador to Georgia; Laurie S. Fulton, former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark; Kenneth Yalowitz, former U.S. Ambassador to Georgia; Marija Babic, independent electoral expert; Melissa Muscio, NDI program director for Georgia, Turkey, and Central Asia; and Laura Thornton, NDI global associate and senior resident director in Georgia.

This NDI observer mission will be carried out professionally and non-biased as well as in accordance with Georgian law and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.  The NDI will remain in contact with Georgian domestic monitoring groups and other international observer delegations during the electoral period. 

The study is being supported/sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  And findings will be revealed in a preliminary statement at a press conference on October the 29th.  

By Shirin Mahdavi