Azerbaijan, Baku, May 17 / Trend E.Ostapenko /
EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Peter Semneby believes the pre-election situation in Georgia is much more favorable than it was before the previous elections. So there is little reason to doubt over their worthy conduct, Semneby said.
"Many lessons from the previous elections were taken into the account. The international observers arrived in Georgia for this and I see no reason to worry," Semneby said in an interview with Trend over the telephone. "However, we continue to closely monitor the election situation."
Semneby is on visit to Georgia from May 11- 17. Semneby holds meetings with representatives of the government and opposition on the eve of the elections here.
Georgia will hold the elections to local authorities, as well as the first direct election of Tbilisi Mayor May 30. Nine people, including the current mayor - the candidate of the ruling United National Movement Party Gigi Ugulava, claim for the post of Tbilisi Mayor.
The Georgian Parliament adopted changes to the Electoral Code, initiated by President Mikheil Saakashvili in December 2009. Under the amendments, the mayor of Tbilisi will now be elected through direct vote.
Semneby said the Georgian side ensured the work of the observation mission at the elections.
Earlier it was reported that 20 observers from the Council of Europe will monitor the upcoming elections. The mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has been operating in Tbilisi since mid-April. The mission includes 16 experts and 24 observers. Another 350 ODIHR observers, who will monitor the poll, the voting process, ballot counting and tabulation, will arrive in Georgia the day before the elections.
Semneby said many observers from EU member states also are expected to monitor the elections in the framework of the OSCE Mission.
The mayoral elections will be held only in Tbilisi, while the opposition demanded their conduct in six cities.
The leader of Our Georgia - Free Democrats Irakli Alasania intends to run for the post of mayor, and his party colleague, former Georgian ombudsman Sozar Subari is going to fight for the chairmanship of the town meeting of the Georgian capital.
Alasania, former Georgian ambassador to the UN and Georgian president's assistant for the Georgian-Abkhaz talks, now heads the opposition union of Georgia 'Alliance for Georgia', which includes the Republican Party and the New Rights Party.
Speaking about the gradual re-establishment of Georgia's relations with Russia after the conflict in South Ossetia in August 2008, Semneby mentioned the possibility of progress to restore some aspects of the relationship, citing the example of opening the checkpoint on the Georgian-Russian border.
Upper Lars - Kazbeki checkpoint was re-opened on March 1, after reconstruction, which started in July 2006. Today this crossing point is the only direct land communication between Russia and Georgia.
However, the obstacles at the moment are significant enough, said Semneby. Amongst the key obstacles, he called Russia's recognition of independence of Georgian regions - Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as the lack of full implementation of the provisions on withdrawal of troops in the ceasefire agreement dated August 2008.
"In this situation, presence of channels for contacts is important, one of which is the Geneva process [to restore security and stability in the South Caucasus after the August conflict]," said Semneby.
According to the Special Representative, the European Union plays a significant role in restoring stability in Georgia, "because exactly the EU assumed the responsibility for negotiations on ceasefire, organized donor conference, sent an observer mission and co-chairs the Geneva discussions".
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