The National Democratic Institute (NDI) announced today the start of a series of high-level meetings ahead of the 2021 municipal elections in Georgia.

The meetings aim to demonstrate support for Georgia’s democratic development and European and Euro-Atlantic integration and reinforce the international community’s expectation for adherence by all to the principles of genuinely democratic elections and political processes.

“The team will meet virtually with party representatives, government officials, as well as representatives of civil society and the media. These meetings are the first phase of NDI’s multi-track program for the October 2, 2021, municipal elections.

In early September, NDI will deploy a limited long-term assessment mission to Georgia. NDI’s long-term analysts will focus on several key themes, including election administration, the campaign environment, the information environment, and gender and inclusion.

In late September, NDI plans to organize an enhanced presence ahead of election day. NDI’s team would hold a second round of discussions with party representatives, government and election officials, as well as representatives of civil society, media, and the diplomatic community to reinforce a message of constructive engagement around the elections,” NDI stated.

NDI’s international election integrity program will be conducted per Georgian law and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.