Ruling party-proposed electronic voting “step forward” - opposition MP
Aleksandre Rakviashvili, an MP from the Girchi opposition party, said on Tuesday that electronic voting would increase credibility of elections. Photo: Parliament of Georgia press office
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Aleksandre Rakviashvili, an MP from the Girchi opposition party, on Tuesday welcomed the ruling Georgian Dream party’s announcement on introducing electronic voter registration and voting starting with the 2024 Parliamentary elections in the country, calling the move a “step forward” for ensuring a fairer electoral environment.
In his comments, the MP said the system would increase credibility of elections and remove questions around their legitimacy.
This is a question where the ruling party and the opposition are more or less unanimous. The new system has already been tested in several election districts of Tbilisi and Batumi. We believe that electronic voting will ensure more credibility in the elections”, Rakviashvili said.
Announcing the forthcoming amendments, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, said on Tuesday that in the majority of polling stations - including in all cities and large settlements that “cover at least 70 percent of voters” - voter registration and voting would be carried out using electronic equipment starting with the 2024 Parliamentary elections.
Kobakhidze noted the Government was “actively working” on the implementation of the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union, which, among other things, involves revision of the Georgian Election Code.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia held mock elections using electronic verification and vote counting devices in Georgia’s seaside city of Batumi on Tuesday.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the ruling team had made a decision on a widespread introduction of an electronic voter registration and voting system starting with the 2024 Parliamentary elections in the country.
The Georgian parliament has re-elected Giorgi Kalandarishvili the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) earlier today. Elected in a second vote, Kalandarishvili will serve as the CEC head for a six-months term.
The Georgian parliament approved new rules for the election of the head of the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) and its members earlier today despite the calls of NGOs not to support the ‘simplified procedures.’
Thea Tsulukiani, the vice prime minister and Georgian minister of culture, on Wednesday said the government’s initiative to introduce e-voting starting with the next scheduled elections would put an end to the “false rhetoric” of alleged election malpractice from the opposition and “once again show the real face” of the latter.
Speaker of the Georgian parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the introduction of an electronic voter registration and voting system starting with the 2024 parliamentary elections in the country would leave “no room for speculation”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said a part of the domestic opposition was “vitally interested” in the country not receiving the European Union membership candidate status.
Givi Mikanadze, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the introduction of electronic voter registration and voting in the country starting with the 2024 parliamentary elections was a “qualitatively new electoral system” of a “top standard”, in comments to critical reactions to the initiative by a part of the domestic opposition.
The rules and procedural issues committee of the parliament of Georgia on Monday reviewed a bill on the electoral reform proposed by the parliamentary opposition and aiming to make it easier to organise voting by citizens abroad.
Extraordinary and by-elections are being held in Georgia’s ten municipalities on Saturday, with voters set to elect a majoritarian member of the Parliament in Poti, Senaki and Khobi, majoritarian members of city councils (Sakrebulo) in Gurjaani, Tianeti, Akhaltsikhe, Tkibuli and Kutaisi, as well as mayors of Tsageri and Terjola, using “large-scale” electronic voting for the first time in the country.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday accused President Salome Zourabichvili and a part of the domestic opposition of “hampering” the process of composition of the country’s Central Election Commission, following the party’s announcement about a new electoral bill on election of the Commission Chair in the Parliament.
Interim parliamentary and mayoral elections will be held on Sunday, with voters set to elect a majoritarian member of the Parliament in Gori and Kaspi, as well as the mayor of Gurjaani, using an electronic voting system, the Central Election Commission said on Saturday.
Giorgi Kalandarishvili, the Chair of the Central Election Commission of Georgia, said the interim parliamentary and mayoral elections across the country on Sunday had “proved” the “readiness” of the election administration, voters and the public for electronic voting.
Electoral reform in Georgia was discussed in a meeting between Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party and members of the United Nations Electoral Needs Assessment Mission, the Georgian Parliament said on Friday.