NDI President: Georgia Has Chance to Reaffirm Position as Democratic Leader

Derek Mitchell, President of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide, says that as parliamentary elections approach in October 2020, Georgia has a chance to reaffirm its position as a democratic leader in the Eurasia region.

“NDI will remain steadfast in its commitment to supporting Georgian democracy during this critical year, and for years to come,” the NDI President said when summarizing his visit.

Mitchell released the statement after visiting Tbilisi and Marneuli on February 24-26, during which he met with the Prime Minister, the President, the Speaker and MPs, heads of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) and opposition political parties, representatives of the non-governmental sector, mayors and City Council members, the Chair of the Central Election Commission, and representatives of the diplomatic corps.

The President of the organization said that Georgia’s friends in the West, including NDI, will be closely following electoral preparations.

“Building public confidence in the process this year will require reaching timely and broad-based consensus on the country’s electoral system; respecting the rights of all candidates and parties to participate without fear of politicized prosecution; safeguarding the rights of civil society organizations to organize, operate and speak freely; empowering women to participate safely and equally; creating space for the constructive engagement of youth; and avoiding political polarization that can degrade national unity and invite external non-liberal influence,” Mitchell stated.

His statement also reads that NDI has worked in Georgia since 1994, and responds to requests from its Georgian partners.

“NDI collaborates closely with the governing party and parties in opposition alike, and favors none over any other. The Institute’s interest, as always, is in transparent, accountable and inclusive democratic processes, not particular electoral outcomes,” he said.

The National Democratic Institute regularly conducts public opinion research to provide decision makers and activists with reliable information about citizens’ opinions and priorities. However, it is not unusual for Georgia’s ruling party to question the accuracy of the surveys and it has many times declared non-confidence in them.

The NDI statement reads that the Institute’s surveys and focus groups are designed with input from representatives of the Georgian government and from parties across the political spectrum. Mitchell noted during his visit that the findings have been used extensively by members of parliament, as well as local elected officials, to inform their legislation and policy-making processes, and by the ruling and opposition political parties to assist their development of organizational, including electoral, strategy.

Gia Volski, the First Deputy Speaker of Georgian Parliament, commented on Mitchell’s statement and noted that the message is clear: Georgia needs to strengthen its position; however, he added that Georgia is in a very advanced position already.

The politician added that Mitchell’s call to “respect the rights of all candidates and parties to participate without fear of politicized prosecution” is not needed, and that he does not think anyone has a fear of persecution or being prevented from expressing their positions freely in Georgia.

Volsky further said that Georgia’s position, as a democratic state, is very strong and will get even more so in future.

Georgian Dream MP Roman Kakulia also commented on the NDI statement, saying in response to Mitchell that if Georgia has a chance to reaffirm its position as a democratic leader, NDI also has a chance to “restore its reputation”.

“As to the possibilities of the approaching elections, I would like to tell NDI that they also have the opportunity to regain the reputation they unfortunately lost years ago. My recommendation to them would be this," the MP said.

By Tea Mariamidze

Image source: flickr.com