In November, the Republic of Georgia experienced the most serious political crisis since the 2003 “Rose Revolution� that brought pro-Western President Mikheil Saakashvili to power.  A temporary state of emergency was imposed to quell the demonstrations, which ended in the call for early presidential elections to be held on January 5.  During the interim, Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze, a longtime member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, has assumed the role of acting President.

In the lead up to the elections, I have been appointed to head the election observation mission on behalf of the OSCE.  The observation mission will bring together parliamentarians from throughout the OSCE region and also accompanying me will be Congressman Lloyd Doggett, a former Justice of the Texas Supreme Court and a strong advocate of transparency.

I have had the opportunity in the past to lead election observation missions in Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Ukraine.  From my past experiences, I know the world will be watching Georgia and it is my sincere hope that these elections are conducted in the most free, fair, and transparent manner. A fundamental function of any democracy is ensuring that citizens are able to vote and know that their vote will be counted.  And while I deeply regret the violence that took place last month, I hope that well-conducted elections will allow the government and the people of Georgia to move forward.

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings represents Florida’s 23rd district and is Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission).

This entry was posted on Friday, December 21st, 2007 at 2:33 pm and is filed under Politics .