Azernews.Az

An OSCE mission consisting of 16 international experts will observe the presidential elections in Georgia, Head of the OSCE ODIHR observation mission Matteo Mecacci said.

"The mission will assess the elections in accordance with the commitments to OSCE and international standards established for democratic elections. Observers will monitor the election activities, the work of the election administration and relevant public services, compliance with the requirements of legislation and decisions on complaints during the elections. The monitoring of media outlets in terms of coverage of the election campaign will also be carried out. The mission will meet with representatives of the authorities and the political parties," Mecacci said.

According to him, the statement on preliminary results will be made the next day after the election, and the final report will be published in about two months.

It will be the sixth presidential election after Georgia regained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili cannot re-run because of the two-term limit in the constitution.

Upon the inauguration of a new president in 2013, a series of constitutional amendments passed in the parliament of Georgia from 2010 to 2013 will go into effect. The amendments envisage significant reduction of the President's powers in favor of the Prime Minister.