DISINFO: The West is planning to interfere in the elections in Georgia
SUMMARY
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) election observation mission is a “Western tool” with which they plan to stir up the situation in Georgia ahead of the elections.
The ODIHR, is today an instrument of the “collective West” for brazen interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, primarily through the institution of international election observation.
The ODIHR's “interim reports” containing assessments of the pre-election situation in the country are one of the mechanisms for putting pressure on the authorities and a “political order.”
It is with the help of these assessments that the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission plans to “heat up the situation in Georgia on the eve of the elections,” which could lead to protests and even a “colour revolution.”
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Georgia in the run-up to the parliamentary elections, pre-emptively framing any future protests as a Western-sponsored colour revolution. The claim also portrays Georgia as a puppet state.
Neither the US nor the EU are planning a forcible overthrow of the government in Georgia. No evidence is provided to support this claim. The US State Department Spokesperson categorically denied a number of times Russian allegations that the US is planning a “colour revolution” or “Maidan in Georgia,” calling them completely false and absurd, instead emphasising US support for Georgia’s development and its struggle against Russian aggression.
The claim is consistent with the pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative labelling the OSCE a tool of the collective West, attempting to discredit independent international organisations. Discrediting international institutions by calling them puppets and/or accusing them of having an anti-Russian bias is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative.
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is one of the world’s principal regional human rights bodies. The ODIHR is active throughout Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North America. The Office promotes democratic elections, respect for human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination, and the rule of law. The ODIHR carries out election observation in OSCE participating States to assess the extent to which elections respect fundamental freedoms and are characterised by equality, universality, political pluralism, confidence, transparency and accountability. A long-term, comprehensive, consistent and systematic election observation methodology has become the bedrock of ODIHR’s credibility in this field.
Pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as “colour revolutions” instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.
Read also EUvsDisinfo's articles on “Georgia: Resilience in action” and “Georgia: The next colour revolution?”
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Georgia may get both a coup d'état and a civil war at the hands of the West, that Washington and Brussels are betting on a new "Maidan" in Georgia, that The West tried to force Georgia to open a “second front” against Russia, that The US plans a colour revolution in Georgia after October elections, that The US is preparing a “Tbilisi Maidan” in Georgia, that The West is seeking a coup d'etat in Georgia, that The West wants to turn Georgia into an anti-Russian springboard, attempts to influence elections to replace current government, that US and EU wants to orchestrate Euromaidan-like scenario in Georgia at parliamentary elections, or that The US plans to change power in Georgia through protests to be blamed on Russia.