Parliament Speaker claims President vetoing Election Commission bill “serves opposition’s goals”

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday claimed President Salome Zourabichvili vetoing amendments to the regulations for electing members of the Central Election Commission was “aimed at preparing the ground for the opposition United National Movement party and its clones” to dispute results of the parliamentary elections in October.

“This is to prepare the ground for the United National Movement and its clones not to recognise the elections. UNM has not recognised any parliamentary elections [and] [t]hey are going to do exactly the same thing in 2024”, Papuashvili said. 

The opposition is involved in this, Salome Zourabichvili is involved, several non-governmental organisations are involved, and among them, some foreign actors. This is a direct attack and interference in the election process”, he continued. 

Zourabichvili on Tuesday vetoed amendments to the election code, approved by the Parliament, that stipulated transfer of the power to elect the Chair and members of the Central Election Commission to the President if the legislative body failed to elect them in two attempts.

Zourabichvili’s 11-page substantiation of her veto was sent to the Parliament and also cited recommendations by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights as motivating her decision.