From December 1 to 3, members of the Georgian Dream and People’s Power discussed the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission’s report on Georgia’s parliamentary elections. Their comments were published on pro-government media outlets (1;2;3), news agencies (1;2;3;4;5;6), and the Facebook pages of People’s Power (1;2). The politicians claimed that OSCE/ODIHR had released its final report, in which the October 26 election was positively assessed. According to Dimitri Khundadze, the report confirmed the legitimacy of the elections. Eka Sepashvili stated: “In its final report, OSCE/ODIHR does not speak about those violations at all it previously highlighted after the elections.” Rati Ionatamishvili noted: “We have OSCE/ODIHR’s preliminary report and assessments from the OSCE Assembly President, which put an end to all disinformation about the parliamentary elections.”
Additionally, on December 3, Georgia’s newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister, Maka Bochorishvili, stated that she had received a letter from the head of the OSCE mission, Pascal Allizard. According to her, the letter described the elections held in Georgia as competitive and noted that “the OSCE is ready to cooperate with the Georgian government.” Bochorishvili’s statement was disseminated by pro-government media outlets (1;2;3) and news agencies (1;2). Imedi TV channel also shared an informational card featuring a quote attributed to Pascal Allizard, portraying him as the head of the OSCE observation mission.
The claims made by members of the Georgian Dream that the preliminary text of the OSCE/ODIHR final report does not mention election irregularities are disinformation: 1. In reality, no such document exists. OSCE/ODIHR denied sending any such document to the Georgian Dream members; 2. It is false that Maka Bochorishvili received a letter from the head of the OSCE observation mission. An OSCE/ODIHR spokesperson confirmed that Pascal Allizard is a member of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and cannot speak on behalf of ODIHR.
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OSCE/ODIHR has not prepared a final report
Members of the Georgian Dream and People’s Power claim that they have the final report/preliminary text regarding the October 26 parliamentary elections. Based on this, they allege that the observation organization highly evaluated the elections and did not mention any violations.
However, information about a final report or preliminary text of the report prepared by OSCE/ODIHR cannot be found anywhere. Neither the observation mission nor the media have released any such information. OSCE/ODIHR published a preliminary report on October 27, which highlighted cases of voter pressure and intimidation. According to the report, 6% of the cases reviewed were assessed negatively – a significant figure. The mission’s interim report was published on October 11.
To clarify the status of the final report, Myth Detector contacted OSCE/ODIHR. Katya Andrush, a spokesperson for the OSCE/ODIHR, explained that the final report on the October 26 elections has not been completed, has not been published, or sent to anyone. The response stated that the report is expected to be published at the end of 2024.
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Pascal Allizard is not the head of the OSCE mission
The newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maka Bochorishvili, claimed that Pascal Allizard, the head of the OSCE mission, sent her a letter on behalf of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs published this letter. It is addressed to Maka Bochorishvili and cc’d to Shalva Papuashvili and Irakli Kobakhidze. Pascal Allizard signed the letter as the Special Coordinator and Leader of the OSCE short-term observer mission in Georgia.
According to the letter, OSCE/ODIHR identified both strengths and challenges during the election period. The letter mentions instances of voter pressure and financial imbalances that created an uneven playing field. It also references the recently adopted [so-called “agents’ law”], which posed a threat to fundamental freedoms and Georgia’s civil society. The letter states:
“The preliminary findings of the observation mission highlighted both strengths and challenges within the electoral process. The elections provided voters with a wide array of choices and were well-administered in terms of technical preparations. Candidates could generally campaign freely while the campaign rhetoric was highly divisive and polarized. But as you have noticed in our joint preliminary findings and conclusions, we also raised some critical concerns. These included issues related to voter pressure and uneven playing fields due to financial imbalances, the underrepresentation of women on party lists and other challenges.
One issue that was of particular concern was the recently adopted legislation and its impact on fundamental freedoms and Georgia’s civil society. Our findings, which should always be considered in a package, altogether underline the importance of addressing key areas to strengthen public trust and democratic standards.”
Pascal Allizard is not the head of the OSCE observation mission; he is a member of the Parliamentary Assembly. According to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s website, Allizard is “Head of Delegation, Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs, Chair of the Sub-Committee on Rules of Procedure and Working Practices.” On the OSCE’s Georgia-specific webpage, his mandate is defined as “Special Coordinator and leader of the OSCE short-term observers.”

It is noteworthy that during the press conference held after the parliamentary elections, Pascal Allizard stated that the electoral environment was tense and the secrecy of the vote was being compromised.
We also clarified Allizard’s mandate with the OSCE/ODIHR spokesperson. Katya Andrush confirmed that Allizard was not the head of the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission. The 2024 parliamentary elections were observed by OSCE/ODIHR under the leadership of Eoghan Murphy. Andrush further clarified that Allizard has no connection to ODIHR and that members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, including Allizard, do not speak on behalf of the observation mission.
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What does the OSCE/ODIHR interim report say?
On October 11, the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission published an interim report on the October 26 parliamentary elections. It assesses the pre-election environment and highlights political polarization and tension. According to the report, the election campaigns took place in a highly polarized environment, with the opposition pointing to intimidation tactics by the government. The interim report notes that although there have been several changes to the electoral code in recent years, the 2024 amendments were
made without public consultations, and some of ODIHR’s recommendations remain unfulfilled. The report highlights inaccuracies in voter lists, an increased number of voters at polling stations, and the need for transparency in the use of election-related technology. The published report also discusses the inaccuracies in the voter lists, which are likely caused by the inclusion of deceased individuals and citizens who de facto live abroad.
During the election period, government-aligned media continuously published quotes and assessments from international observers. Myth Detector examined the biographies and activities of those observers who positively assessed the October 26 elections. It was revealed that several of them have questionable reputations.
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