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The second phase of the assistance
provided by OSCE Participating States through the Georgia Elections
Assistance Programme (GEAP) culminated with the elections on 28
March 2004. On Election Day the GEAP fielded seven teams, observing
more than 60 election commissions from 13 different districts
covering several regions of Georgia. In addition, Tbilisi based
activities of the CEC and domestic election observer organizations
were closely monitored. The teams focused on observing the impact of
GEAP funded activities on the conduct of the vote. On matters
targeted through GEAP projects, particularly noteworthy impact were
observed in the functioning of election commissions, the public
information campaign, the conduct of police officers and the
application of voter marking.
BACKGROUND
The Parliamentary Elections scheduled for 28 March 2004 will have a
more distinct political nature than the Presidential Elections, and
significant improvement of a number of procedural aspects needs to
be achieved through Phase II of the Georgia Elections Assistance Programme.
The Mission has started
preparations for Programme activities in support of the upcoming
Parliamentary Elections.
Implementing partners have now been contacted by the OSCE
Elections Assistance Group with a view towards entering new agreements.
Phase II
of the GEAP foresees to maintain the type of assistance provided
during Phase I, and to expand it in an effort to build capacity
within chosen Georgian institutions. Four new projects have been
identified to address an expanded domestic observation programme, a
more targeted voter education campaign and the initiation of
long-term capacity building for the CEC as well as the Department of
Civil Registration of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, aimed at
compiling a civil register as a source of an accurate voter
register.
Project activities in the four areas of capacity
building of the election administration, domestic observation, voter
education outreach, and assistance to the civil registration
department of the Ministry of Justice will be implemented in
co-operation with organizations experienced in the Georgian
electoral processes (both international and domestic technical
assistance providers). Again, all assistance will be carried out in
close co-operation with the CEC.
In the framework of GEAP Phase II, the Mission
will engage in a closer co-operation with local project-implementing
partners. The aim is to build additional capacity with those local
implementing partners by directly engaging them into the
interlocution with the Georgia Elections Assistance Team and,
at the same time, making a higher percentage of the funds available
for direct project costs.
Contact persons:
Luis Martinez-Betanzos, Head of
GEAP
+ 995 99 98 17 12 (mobile)
Luis.Martinez-Betanzos@osce.org
Stig Kjeldsen, Reporting Officer of GEAP
+995 99 92 25 28 (mobile)
Stig.Kjeldsen@osce.org
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