Parliament to approve changes to electoral code, including gender quotas, party funding
The amendments will need the support of at least 76 MPs in the 150-member parliament. Photo: parliament of Georgia press office.
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The Georgian parliament is discussing amendments to the country’s electoral code which come following the adoption of the election bill on June 29.
Ruling party MPs say that the amendments they have proposed include ‘most of the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations’.
The amendments concern the formation of an election administration, media campaigning and broadcasting, the election environment, the prevention of the inappropriate usage of administrative resources, election disputes, party funding, gender quotas and second rounds of elections.
Per the amendments:
- Non-partisan members of lower-level (precinct) election commissions will be elected with the support of the majority of non-partisan members of the relevant district election commissions which will ensure that the process is conducted impartially and free from party interests.
- Family members will not be employed in the same precinct election commission to prevent conflicts of interests.
- Individuals appointed by a party to precinct election commissions during previous elections will not be able to become non-partisan members of the commissions during the 2020 elections.
- One party/bloc will not be able to use its commercial time for the interests of other political parties or blocs.
- Giving more than the specified free or paid TV time for parties or blocs will be considered an illegal contribution.
Georgia to hold parliamentary elections at the end of October 2020. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
- Posting of campaign materials within 25 meters from the polling station will be banned.
- Unproved income will be considered an illegal contribution.
- Public school teachers, members of religious organisations and the bar association will be banned from election campaigning.
- Ministries and other state bodies will be banned from placing commercials on implemented projects two months before election day.
- Before the 2028 parliamentary elections, parties and election blocs must present party lists in which one-fourth of candidates will be a woman. Otherwise the party will not be registered.
- For the 2028 parliamentary elections themselves, one-third of party lists must consist of women, while this proposition will increase for the 2032 race.
- If a party receives 50,000 votes in the elections (three per cent of the total vote) the party will receive 15 lari for a single vote in state funding – a total of 750,000 GEL.
- For each vote after 50,000 votes, the party will receive 5 GEL.
- Parties with more gender-balanced election lists will receive additional state funding.
Member of the European Parliament, Co-President of the Euronest PA, Andrius Kubilius has welcomed the adoption of Georgian constitutional amendments on June 29 which will ensure more proportional electoral system for the autumn parliamentary elections.
MEP Marina Kaljurand, who chairs the delegation to the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee, and the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur on Georgia MEP Sven Mikser have welcomed the adoption of the Georgian election bill yesterday, stating that the passing of the constitutional amendments is ‘an important milestone in the development of Georgia’s democratic life.’
The US Department of State and the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Georgia, have welcomed the ‘historic adoption’ of constitutional amendments by the Georgian parliament earlier today.
The Georgian parliament has passed the election bill drafted with the mediation of the diplomatic corps in its third and final reading earlier today. 117 MPs voted for and three went against the bill which will institute a more proportional electoral system for this autumn’s parliamentary elections. The United National Movement and European Georgia opposition parties refused to participate in the vote, stating that with the continued incarceration of the co-founder of opposition-minded TV channel Giorgi Rurua, the ruling party ‘did not fully abide by the March 8 election agreement.’
Eighteen opposition parties, who participated in the election talks with the ruling Georgian Dream party mediated by the diplomatic corps, continue to demand the ruling party ‘fully abide’ by the March 8 election agreement and release co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua.
The EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has welcomed amendments to the Georgian election code, which were passed in their third and final reading yesterday.
The opposition says that the ruling party’s majoritarian candidates, who have been nominated earlier today, have been selected according to their ‘obedience to the founder and the head of the ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili’ and that ‘they are symbols of a bankrupt political force.’
US State Secretary Mike Pompeo and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia have spoken on the phone and discussed a range of issues, including the October parliamentary elections, Georgia’s ‘effective response’ to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s redoubled occupation efforts during the pandemic.The phone conversation yesterday was held due to the postponement of the US-Georgia Strategic Partnership charter session due to the pandemic, with the officials expressing hope the session will take place by the end of the year.
Coercion and intimidation of voters or the violation of vote secrecy will become criminally liable in Georgia as part of a series of amendments to the election code approved by the Parliament of Georgia in its third and final hearing today.
A bill cutting off funding to political parties whose members of parliament do not take up at least half of their mandates in parliament was passed on June 22. The bill, which was put forward by the ruling Georgian Dream party, was supported by 79 MPs, while 22 came out against.