The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia reviewed the statement released by the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE), in which the organization labeled several international observers during the October 4, 2025 Municipal Elections in Georgia as “fake observers”. Among those mentioned were representatives of election administrations from various countries as well as a vendor organization.

This assessment is unequivocally offensive, unfounded, and aimed at discrediting both the Election Administration of Georgia [EA] and the international observers who monitored the elections at the official invitation of the CEC, in full compliance with Georgian legislation and international practice.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia states that:

“All foreign observers who were present in Georgia during the 2025 Municipal Elections were registered in full compliance with the requirements set forth by the Election Code of Georgia;

Their invitation and presence in Georgia were based on international standards and long-established good practices, which promote professional cooperation and the exchange of experience;

These individuals did not engage in any political or lobbying activities, and their participation was solely aimed at providing a professional assessment of the electoral process, in line with their observation objectives.

Accordingly, the term “fake observer,” as used by EPDE in reference to these individuals, constitutes a gross violation of the principle of objectivity and undermines the reputation of both the EA and the respective institutions of the countries whose representatives took part in the electoral process.

The CEC calls on EPDE to publicly clarify the sources and evidence on which it based the dissemination of these assessments.

The CEC reminds the public that good international practice does not require an examination of an observer’s profession, education, occupation, or prior electoral experience when registering as an observer, nor does it prescribe any specific professional requirements or qualifications. Nevertheless, certain interested parties have manipulatively portrayed this issue in relation to various observers. The CEC categorically states that the representatives of election administrations from different countries, as well as those of other organizations, were registered as international observers for the October 4, 2025 elections in full compliance with the requirements established by law.

At the same time, it is noteworthy why EPDE refers to official representatives of constitutional bodies - election administrations and a vendor company - as “fake observers,” when none of their statements contained any political opinions or even indirect political references, apart from procedural and technical assessments. Moreover, some of the individuals mentioned in the organization’s report did not make any statements at all within the framework of the observation mission. It therefore appears that these individuals were labeled as “fake observers” solely because they were present in the country as international observers and monitored the elections.

In addition, it remains unclear why, out of nearly forty delegates representing election administrations from more than twenty countries who visited Georgia, EPDE chose to single out only a few individuals - and on what grounds or evidence this selective attention was based.

It is also important to note that the October 4 elections were observed by representatives of legislative bodies, as well as other institutions and organizations from various countries. Each of them conducted their observation activities within the framework established by law, and it was their legitimate right to issue any type of statement or assessment within that format. Consequently, labeling these individuals as “fake observers,” whether their statements were positive or critical, is entirely unfounded and may be regarded as an attempt to discredit both the individuals themselves and the electoral process as a whole, as well as an effort to exert pressure on them.

The EA believes that all of the above represents an attempt to undermine and discredit the successfully held October 4 elections in Georgia, both domestically and internationally - an effort that is categorically unacceptable and deeply concerning. This is particularly alarming given that the organization in question was not registered as an observer for these elections at all.

It should also be noted that ISFED, an organization that manipulatively presented the results of the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) to the public during the 2020 elections, is among the member organizations of EPDE. As a result of that incident, the then-head of ISFED was dismissed - a person who, according to available information, is currently affiliated with EPDE. Despite this precedent, issues concerning the credibility of PVT results were again observed during the 2024 elections. On that occasion, information was disseminated claiming that the data matched the official results of the CEC, yet the actual figures were never published. These circumstances naturally raise questions about EPDE’s objectivity and impartiality”.