Ruling party head claims President, opposition “hampering” composition of Election Commission as new electoral bill proposed

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, noted 91 percent of voters in the 2024 Parliamentary elections would vote using an electronic system. Photo: Georgian Dream press office 

Agenda.ge, 07 Sep 2023 - 14:10, Tbilisi,Georgia

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.

The ruling party on Wednesday initiated a bill involving election of the Chair and members of the body with 90 votes in the 150-member Parliament. The move comes following the President’s decision in June to veto a bill proposed by GD that outlined 76 - instead of 100 - votes as a prerequisite for election of Commission officials.

The Parliament in July refused to back the President’s proposal to elect officials in the body with at least 90 votes, which she had claimed would allow a “consensus-based decision between parties”, and overrode the veto. 

Givi Mikanadze, a ruling party MP, on Wednesday said the new bill involved election of the CEC Chair and its members with 90 votes in the initial vote, lowering the threshold to 76 in the second voting if the required number was not reached in the initial vote. 

The bill also allows the third vote if candidates are unable to receive enough votes in the second attempt either, with approval requiring 76 votes again. 

Mikanadze said if candidates failed to acquire enough votes in all the three runs, the President would be granted the right to decide on their appointment.

The party claimed the amendments were “in full compliance” with the European Union conditions outlined in June 2022 for granting Georgia its membership candidate status, with the European Council scheduled to decide on the status later this year. 

In his comments for Imedi TV following the bill, Kobakhidze praised the candidates presented for the positions of the CEC Chair and members, who are working as acting representatives of the body, and claimed “no question marks” had been presented over their activities or professionalism.

He claimed the “radical wing” of the domestic opposition was “trying to use any opportunity” to “hamper the electoral process” by “creating obstacles” for the composition of the CEC to be completed.

He also noted 91 percent of voters in the 2024 Parliamentary elections would vote using an electronic system, which he said was introduced to “eliminate all chances of manipulations”.