OSCE, Venice Commission evaluations on Georgian electoral amendments “positive” - ruling party MP
Givi Mikanadze, a ruling Georgian Dream party MP, on Monday said that the parliament had received a draft of conclusions from the European bodies on electoral amendments. Photo: Parliament of Georgia press office
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The evaluations of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe on electoral amendments implemented by Georgian authorities with the goal of gaining the European Union membership candidate status are “clearly positive”, Givi Mikanadze, a ruling Georgian Dream party MP, said on Monday.
Mikanadze said legislative changes related to residency status for candidates in municipal elections, measures for ensuring impartiality of members and observers in lower-level election commissions, introduction of additional criteria for recalculating election results, and increased deadlines for submitting complaints had been “particularly highlighted as positive”.
The draft of the conclusion by the European bodies, planned to be officially approved on December 15, will be available later today, the MP added, noting recommendations on “several topics” would be considered before the final approval of the bill.
The amendments are part of Georgia's plans to receive the EU membership candidate status. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
It is clear that the work that the ruling party has done with the involvement of several opposition groups over the past several months has been positively evaluated by the international organisations of such high authority”, Mikanadze pointed out, adding “we will consider each of the recommendation in detail and submit appropriate amendments for the second reading”.
In further comments, the lawmaker said his party had initiated the creation of nine working groups since June, when the country was granted a European perspective by the European Council and tasked with meeting conditions set by the bloc for granting the country the membership candidate status.
He said the working groups, with the involvement of several opposition parties, had held 60 working meetings between July and August to propose amendments to meet the conditions.
A portion of the 12-point conditions has been fulfilled in several directions, and intensive work is being done on the rest. Our goal is to complete most of the activities under this plan by the end of this year”, Mikanadze said.
Georgia applied for EU membership in March along with Ukraine and Moldova, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said recently there will be no elections in the next three years, as the political situation has largely stabilised in the country, adding that it is now time to work, and that the government must help Georgian citizens as much as possible.
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.
Electoral amendments necessary for obtaining the European Union membership candidate status for Georgia will be proposed in September by the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee, with the bill drafted in line with recommendations of the Parliamentary working group set up earlier this month to address electoral issues, ruling Georgian Dream party MP Givi Mikanadze said on Thursday.
The working group proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Parliament and tasked with revising domestic electoral laws in line with the European Commission conditions for the country’s EU membership candidacy held its first meeting on Thursday.
The Georgian Parliament on Thursday adopted amendments to the country’s electoral code in their penultimate reading as part of the conditions set by the European Union in June for granting it the membership candidate status.
Georgian Parliament on Thursday failed to elect the Chair and members of the country’s Central Election Commission after the candidates proposed by President Salome Zourabichvili did not receive support from MPs.
The Georgian Parliament on Thursday adopted amendments to the country’s electoral code in their third reading, as part of the recommendations set by the European Union in June for granting it the membership candidate status, with multi-party support.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Tuesday submitted a list of candidates for the positions of the head and member of the Central Election Commission to the Parliament and announced a competition for one position.
The Georgian Parliament will officially resume its work on February 7 for the spring session, the press office of the legislative body said on Tuesday.
Georgia’s electoral reform was discussed on Monday in a meeting between Giorgi Kalandarishvili, the Chair of the Central Election Commission, and John Pennell, the Mission Director for the United States Agency for International Development in the Caucasus.
The ruling Georgian Dream party on Wednesday nominated candidates for the April 29 midterm elections for the member of the Parliament for the country’s western Poti, Senaki and Khobi constituency, and two mayors in Tsageri and Terjola municipalities.