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Georgia Political Deadlock After Broken Promise on Electoral System Change

December 09, 2019

To provide an outlook for the upcoming 2020 elections in Georgia, ISFED describes in this policy paper the current political deadlock in the country caused by the ruling party failing to vote for the introduction of a proportional electoral system. ISFED analyzes a potential solution for this deadlock surrounding the electoral system and necessary changes in the Election Code and political party finance regulations to ensure that the 2020 parliamentary elections are conducted in a democratic, free and fair manner.

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EPDE Publication Foreign Observation of the Illegitimate Elections in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in 2019

December 05, 2019

In Anton Shekhovtsov’s newest study, he analyzes how the presence of “foreign observers” during the “parliamentary elections” in the so-called “Republic of South Ossetia” and of the “presidential elections” in the so-called “Republic of Abkhazia” in 2019 was underpinned not by the actual need to observe the “elections”, but rather by the intent to mimic legitimate international election monitoring in order to create an impression that South Ossetia and Abkhazia were legitimate independent states.

more ... Foreign Observation of the Illegitimate Elections in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in 2019

Ukraine EPDE Policy Alert - Electoral Reform in Ukraine #15

December 04, 2019

The parliamentary vote on the draft Electoral Code planned for this week has been postponed. Earlier, EPDE members Civic Network OPORA and the Committee of Voters of Ukraine raised serious concerns about some provisions of the draft and pointed to a number of shortcomings resulting from last minute amendments to the draft. This policy alert analyses these shortcomings and calls on the Verkhovna Rada to present the final draft Electoral Code to the public in a timely manner in order to ensure transparency.

more ... EPDE Policy Alert - Electoral Reform in Ukraine #15

Ukraine Statement ahead of Parliament's consideration of changes to Electoral Code

The Ukrainian Parliament is expected to consider proposals of changes to the Electoral Code made by the President of Ukraine this week, 3-6 December. OPORA calls on parliamentarians to make use of procedural possibilities to fine-tune the text of the document and that the parliamentary committee hold another meeting before the Code is considered to allow for a discussion of controversial issues in the document.

more ... Statement ahead of Parliament's consideration of changes to Electoral Code

Georgia Divisive Narratives on Facebook During the 2018 Elections

ISFED released its latest social media monitoring report which focuses on Facebook pages that spread specific value-based narratives such as nationalistic, xenophobic, islamophobic, homophobic, illiberal, and openly anti-western messages. Narratives and propaganda methods used by these Facebook pages are identical to those used by Kremlin across Europe.

more ... Divisive Narratives on Facebook During the 2018 Elections

Belarus Analytical report of the Parliamentary elections

According to the “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”, these elections do not meet international standards of democratic and free elections for a number of reasons: lack of equal access to state media for all candidates, lack of impartial election commissions, use of administrative resource in favor of pro-government candidates, numerous cases of coercion of voters to participate in early voting, and intransparent vote counting procedures.

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Belarus Decline of political race and total fraud

The parliamentary elections were once again marred by gross violations of both Belarusian legislation and international standards. Representatives of “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” say each electoral phase (formation of election commissions, registration of candidates, campaigning, early voting and Election Day) deserves severe criticism.

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Georgia Open letter of Georgian civil society regarding the failed vote on electoral reform

In Tbilisi protesters have gathered around the parliament this weekend following a failed vote in parliament on 14 November to pass amendments to the constitution allowing for the introduction of a fully proportional electoral system. Local NGOs, including our member ISFED, see the failed vote as an artificially manipulated process and a continuation of the process of state capture by the chair of the ruling party, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili.

more ... Open letter of Georgian civil society regarding the failed vote on electoral reform

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