Aage Borchgrevink: I wouldn't treat elections in Georgia as completely democratic

Aage Borchgrevink, an adviser of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, was monitoring the local government elections in the Samtskhe-Dzhavakheti region of Georgia. According to his story, plenty of violations were registered at polling stations.

"Pressure was permanently felt on candidates, members of electoral commission and observers," said Mr Borchgrevink and noted that in 2008 he also was in Georgia monitoring the local parliamentary elections.

"Two years ago I was in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. If to compare, I'd tell that at the previous elections there was more pressure on voters in the form of presence of armed soldiers at the stations. It was a very direct message to voters. Besides, we observed armed conflicts in Samegrelo," he said.

This time, according to his story, there were no facts of this kind. "But on the other hand, we saw plenty of strangers at polling stations, who gave instructions to members of commission what to do. In one case right before our eyes a well dressed man even accompanied voters to the booths and gave advice. It was an obvious and gross violation. And we saw many people of this sort, who, however, stood outside stations, not inside, so their pressure was not so direct," said the observer.

In his opinion, activists of opposition parties in regions were under higher pressure than the voters.

"I'd tell that in Samtskhe-Dzhavakheti pressure on oppositional candidates and their representatives has rendered greater influence on election outcomes. And I can't name these elections to be completely democratic," Mr Borchgrevink told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

At the same time, according to his version, Georgia was forced to make certain changes after the previous elections under the pressure of the Mission of international observers: "I don't quite agree, when they say that in 2008 the Mission compiled a soft report. Simply, it should have been read more attentively to find it. Perhaps, the general estimate was a bit foggy, but many phenomena were assessed quite critically."

"This time they also say about systemic violations. And they, I think, will not comment whether these elections are fair and free. I think that between the lines we can see the critical attitude of the Mission of international organizations. But it seems to me that there is a great political pressure on international observers in Georgia that they don't make any tough statements. However, these are just my assumptions," said Mr Borchgrevink.

He could not answer the question whether the improvements were results of real work or just evidence that the party in power was not as interested in local elections as in parliamentary and presidential ones, which may be accompanied by greater pressure.