ISFED: simplified election rules for Central Election Commision head, members against EU-mediated agreement
The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy is against proposed changes to the election procedures of the country’s Central Election Commission head and members. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) says that if the Georgian parliament approves ‘simplified procedures’ for the election of the head of the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) and its members it will be ‘another deviation’ from the April 2021 EU-mediated agreement.
Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee approved changes to the election rules for the CEC chair and members yesterday.
According to the changes, which need to be approved by the state legislature with three readings, the CEC chair and members can be elected immediately with a simple majority (at least 76 MPs in the 150-member parliament) if the first vote, which requires the support of ⅔ of 150-MPs, fails.
The proposed change in the rules for electing the @cecgovge Chairperson and professional members is another violation of the #April19Agreement initiated by @eucopresident. Read more: https://t.co/iHXd2euJOS #Gvote #Elections #Georgia
— ISFED (@isfed_official) December 14, 2021
In accordance with existing rules which were adopted following the EU-mediated agreement, the CEC chair and members are elected with a ⅔ supermajority of parliament.
If the vote is unsuccessful, another vote must be held with the same threshold in no earlier than four weeks.
If MPs fail again to elect the candidates, subsequent votes must first require a ⅗ majority and then a simple majority, to be held within the same timeframe.
ISFED says that the new rules were elaborated without the engagement of the opposition and that if the rules are approved, they will benefit the interests of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The election watchdog called on the ruling party to ‘express the political will’ to make a large consensus decision on the topic.
It also encouraged the opposition to participate in the selection process for CEC chair and members.
The United National Movement (UNM), the largest opposition party in Georgia, has decided to join the April 2021 EU-mediated agreement after more than four months of refusing to do so.The UNM’s decision comes on the heels of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party’s withdrawal from the agreement at the end of July ‘because the main opposition, the UNM, refused to join the agreement,while other opposition parties were constantly violating it.’
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MPs say that the party has no plans to rejoin the EU-mediated agreement it left on July 28. Georgian Dream MP Archil Talakvadze said earlier today that ‘the ruling party was the only party which was fulfilling the agreement’ which had resolved a six-month political crisis following disputed parliamentary elections at the end of 2020 and proposed large-scale reforms.
Opposition MP Tamar Kordzaia has boycotted the parliamentary activities after the ruling Georgian Dream party’s withdrawal from the EU-mediated agreement. Kordzaia told IPN that she signed the agreement because ‘the western course is important,’ noting that parliamentary cooperation with the Georgian Dream is impossible.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has annulled its signatory status to the April 19 EU-mediated agreement which resolved a six-month political crisis in the country following the 2020 parliamentary elections and proposed large-scale electoral and judiciary reforms.Head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze stated earlier today that the agreement initiated by the European Council President Charles Michel ‘had completed its mission’ and accused opposition parties of non-fulfilment of the agreement.
The US Embassy to Georgia has stated that the Georgian parliament made a 'rushed decision' in approving new rules for electing the Central Election Commission (CEC) head and members. The embassy said that by supporting the amendments, the ruling Georgian Dream party took an 'unnecessary step away' from its commitment to strengthening Georgia's electoral system.
The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) has published its final report on the monitoring of 2021 municipal elections, which reads that the financial and administrative resources of the ruling Georgian Dream Party hindered an equal election environment.