Following the conclusion of the ‘Council of Leaders’, Nino Burjanadze responded to the statement by the US Ambassador positively evaluating the pre-electoral environment: “’Council of Leader’ compiled a very interesting document regarding the pre-electoral environment. It is unfortunate that the US Ambassador rushed his assessment of the elections, as though, on purpose. All oppositional parties regard the pre-electoral environment as unequal and unfair, yet, the US Ambassador makes a positive statement on the same issue. Which is incomprehensible.

As Burjanadze noted, if elections in Georgia are held for the US Embassy, and for the participation of the latter, which is partially true, then I understand. If elections are held for political parties, however, then we state that pre-electoral environment is neither free, nor democratic. The fact that we do not observe daily physical violence does not mean ideal standard. “To me personally, assessment of pre-electoral environment as positive appears strange, when everyone speaks of abnormal disparity in donations, results of media-monitoring, harassment, utilisation of the administrative resource.”