“If OSCE/ODIHR had the desire to observe, there is sufficient time for it. Where there is a will, there is a way,” Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili declared.

Regarding the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statement, which “urged Georgian authorities to take steps to restore trust in democratic institutions,” Shalva Papuashvili asserts that Sweden’s Foreign Ministry has no business whatsoever in who will and will not observe Georgia’s elections.

“Where there is a will, there is a way. If OSCE/ODIHR had the desire to observe, there is sufficient time for them to do so. It has been just one week since the active election campaign began, and we and other parties intend to conduct the election campaign within one month. Nothing now stands in the way of observation. So, where there is a will, there is a way, and there would have been no problem at all; they could have come and observed. That’s one thing.

Secondly, including yesterday, I saw a statement from Sweden’s Foreign Ministry expressing concern that the OSCE won’t be able to observe. I will tell the public that Sweden has never once invited OSCE/ODIHR to observe local elections, not once in history, never. Sweden’s Foreign Ministry has no competence over another country’s elections. Sweden’s Foreign Ministry has absolutely no business in who will and will not observe Georgia’s elections.

And thirdly, Swedish government representative Erik Ottoson stood here at an anti-government rally on November 11 or 12, 2024, after the elections. The Swedish government representative did not recognise OSCE/ODIHR’s conclusions. Swedish government representative Erik Ottoson was calling on Georgia’s radical opposition towards Maidan. To this day, Sweden’s Foreign Ministry has not distanced itself from this call towards violent overthrow. This is a pharisaical statement,” Shalva Papuashvili declared.

For reference, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights issued a statement saying that the Georgian government’s invitation to observe the local government elections on October 4, less than a month before the vote, leaves insufficient time for credible and meaningful observation.