Georgian Parliament approves annulment of gender quotas in electoral lists
The Parliament also noted a related amendment was being introduced to the Organic Law on Political Unions of Citizens, cancelling a financial encouragement instrument that offered benefits to parties for enrolling women in their lists in respective proportions. Photo: Georgian Parliament
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The Georgian Parliament on Thursday approved with its third reading an initiative by the Girchi party on the annulment of gender quotas in the process of forming electoral lists.
The hearing saw the initiative being adopted with 85 votes against 22, as draft amendments to the Election Code were adopted by the Parliament in an accelerated manner.
The amendments regulate the gender quotas and submission of party lists, where political parties will no longer be required to draw up their electoral lists according to the gender quota requirements, the Parliament said.
The changes also reduce the minimum of the number of candidates for MPs from 60 to 30.
The Draft was initiated by Girchi members Iago Khvichia, Alexander Rakviashvili, Vakhtang Megrelishvili and Hermann Szabo. Early this week, Khvichia said “women do not require men’s assistance to pursue a career in politics” in comments on the initiative.
The Parliament also noted a related amendment was being introduced to the Organic Law on Political Unions of Citizens, cancelling a financial encouragement instrument that offered benefits to parties for enrolling women in their lists in respective proportions.
The ongoing work for public information campaigns for this year's parliamentary elections in Georgia was discussed in a meeting between Giorgi Kalandarishvili, the Chair of the Central Election Commission, and representatives of international organisations and diplomatic missions in the country.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said he had signed into law amendments to the Election Code regulations concerning elections of members and the Chair of the Central Election Administration.
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”.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry on Monday addressed Matteo Mecacci, the Director of the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, with an invitation to send observers for the general elections in the country, set for October.