EU ambassador welcomes changes to election code with caveat: ‘I’d have hoped to see more ambitious reforms’
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has responded to the adoption of amendments to the election code yesterday. Photo: EU in Georgia press office.
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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.
However, Hartzell also stated he had hoped to see ‘more ambitious reforms including in key areas recommended by the OSCE/ODIHR’ for issues such as voter intimidation, dispute resolution and commission compositions.
Hartzell said that the election reform package approved yesterday was the result of a process that started more than one year ago and which the EU delegation has actively supported.
My remarks on yesterday´s adoption of the election reform package
— Carl Hartzell (@CarlHartzellEU) July 3, 2020
➡️ https://t.co/owyj3pWlnS pic.twitter.com/PBvj5ktZEq
I welcome the legislative improvements made in line with OSCE/ODIHR recommendations, including the regulation of campaigning rights of budget sector employees, defined regulations for second rounds, the promotion of women’s representation, the improvement of conflict of interest rules for election commission members, and the introduction of a regressive party finance model, “ Hartzell said.
He stated that the upcoming parliamentary elections in the autumn ‘will be a pivotal moment’ to assess Georgia’s commitment to upholding democratic processes and the rule of law.
I next look forward to seeing the new rules implemented and the further preparations for the elections get underway. The European Union stands ready to continue assisting Georgia in achieving its objective to hold elections of the highest democratic standards this autumn,” Hartzell said.
The ambassador stated that it was sad the ‘opportunity was missed’ to win broader political support behind the new election legislation as the opposition refused to vote both the election bill on June 29 and the amendments to the election code yesterday.
94 MPs (of total 150) voted for the amendments yesterday, with one vote against.
The Georgian parliament is discussing amendments to the country’s electoral code which come following the adoption of the election bill on June 29.
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.’
The co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua is not mentioned in the 8 March agreement, says German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch expressing surprise that this is a subject of discussion between the political parties.
The Georgian parliament has passed the election bill in its second reading earlier today, with 115 MPs in the 150-member parliament voting in favour. The United National Movement and the European Georgia opposition parties, who support the amendments, refused to participate in the vote as they demand the release of co-founder of opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua.
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.