Georgian Parliament adopts EU-recommended electoral amendments in penultimate hearing
The Georgian Parliament on Thursday adopted electoral amendments with their second reading, with the third and final reading still ahead. Photo: Parliament press office
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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.
The vote followed the recent, “clearly positive” evaluations of the bill by 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.
Supported by 88 MPs in the 150-member Parliament, including legislators from the Georgian Dream ruling party as well non-partisan MPs and members of the Lelo, Girchi, Citizens and the European Socialists opposition groups, the bill featured 20 amendments, with 13 reflecting international recommendations.
The United National Movement opposition party - the largest opposition group in the country - along with Strategy Agmashenebeli and MPs from the For Georgia opposition party rejected the vote following their two meetings with GD for reaching an agreement on controversial questions.
Georgia applied for EU membership in March along with Ukraine and Moldova, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
The meetings led to agreements on 10 questions eventually included in the bill, with the rejection of mandatory certification for party members in election commissions - requested earlier by the opposition - among them.
In his comments earlier this month, Givi Mikanadze, an MP from the ruling party, said electoral 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” in the OSCE/ ODIHR and Venice Commision assessments.
The Parliamentary working group on electoral reforms, which proposed the amendments in September, was created as part of the Georgian Government’s efforts to address the EU conditions for obtaining the bloc’s membership candidate status, which included an entry related to elections that recommended Georgian authorities to further improve the electoral framework and address all shortcomings identified by OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commision.
The bill will have the third, and final, hearing at the legislative body before entering into force.
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.
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.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, a Georgian-based election watchdog, had “no place” in the Parliamentary working groups discussing reforms for obtaining the European Union membership candidate status for the country.
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.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the country’s authorities were “ready to inform everyone” about risks of interference in domestic elections “if such threats are observed”, following a warning by the United States for more than 100 states across the world over Russia’s alleged plans to “undermine confidence” in democratic process and fair elections.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Sunday said it was in the Georgian Government’s “interest” to hold the 2024 Parliamentary Elections “at the highest standard”.