"The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its deep concern over the conduct of the parliamentary elections in Georgia, held on 26 October 2024," it said a statement.
The Polish foreign ministry noted that Georgia's President Salome Zourabichvili and opposition politicians raised concerns about the integrity of the elections.
"Numerous reports confirming violations of elections procedures and the unprecedented scale of administrative resources involved by the ruling party undermine the principle of freedom and equality of the process and the very result of the elections," the Polish foreign ministry said in its statement.
"We sincerely believe that Georgia is part of Europe, and Georgian people deserve to achieve their goals and dreams - to secure European and Euro-Atlantic future for their country," it added. "Unfortunately what we witnessed during elections of 26 October is not bringing Georgia closer but further away from the EU and NATO."
The statement declared that "Poland will continue to support Georgian democracy and the free will of its people."
It concluded: "We remember that Georgia has been a leader of reform process in the past, and we hope that it will come back on this path again."
With nearly all votes counted, the results of Georgia's parliamentary election dealt a blow to pro-Western groups in Georgia, where the ruling party has strengthened ties with Russia, while the opposition seeks to accelerate integration with Europe, the Reuters news agency reported.
Pro-EU President Salome Zourabichvili urged people to take to the streets on Monday to protest the election results.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili casts her ballot in the country's parliamentary elections on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2024. Photo: EPA/DAVID MDZINARISHVILI
The governing Georgian Dream party, which Zourabichvili fiercely criticises, secured nearly 54 percent of the vote, according to the country's electoral commission.
This result came amid reports from opposition parties and election monitors of significant violations in the electoral process, according to Reuters.
The European Union, of which Poland has been part since 2004, has called for an investigation into reports of election violations in Georgia.
The EU urged the country's authorities "to fulfil their duty to swiftly, transparently and independently investigate and adjudicate electoral irregularities and allegations thereof."
It said that "the people of Georgia have demonstrated their attachment to democratic values and their country’s EU path" in recent months.
Earlier this month, the foreign ministers of Poland, France and Germany voiced concern over the rise in aggressive anti-EU rhetoric in Georgia, saying the EU will not tolerate the spread of "false narratives" about European positions and policies by Georgian authorities.
Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and his French and German counterparts called on Georgia’s government "to reverse its current course of action," warning that "the scope and depth of EU-Georgia relations and cooperation are at stake."
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Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl