Georgian president to veto electoral code amendments over EU non-compliance

Georgian president to veto electoral code amendments

President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili will veto the law on amendments to the electoral code as they contradict the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the European Union, according to a statement from the president’s administration.

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What exactly has been changed in the electoral code?

On February 20, the Georgian зarliament approved amendments to the electoral code in the third reading. The changes concern the procedure for electing the chairperson and members of the Central Election Commission (CEC). The bill was supported by 81 deputies, while six voted against.

According to the bill:

● The chairperson and members of the CEC can be elected by 90 votes out of 150 (or 3/5 majority), instead of the current requirement of 76 out of 150. The chairperson and members of the CEC are elected for a term of five years.

● If the candidates fail to receive the support of 90 deputies, they will be voted on again. However, this time they will require the support of a simple majority of parliamentarians, which is 76.

● If the legislature fails to reach an agreement on 76 votes, then parliament will submit candidates to the president, who will make the decision unilaterally.

● Previously adopted amendments remain in force, whereby the competition for selecting CEC candidates will be presented by the parliament speaker instead of the president. The parliament speaker will also present the selected candidates for parliamentary voting.

● According to the new amendments, the position of the deputy chairperson of the CEC, traditionally held by a member of the opposition, is abolished.

Statement by the president of Georgia:

“With the adopted amendments, the process of forming the CEC has become entirely fictitious, tailored to the political interests of the ruling party, instead of being filled by consensus-selected and elected members.

There is a risk that the elections will be conducted by an electoral administration controlled by a single-party, biased ruling party, leading to distrust in this process both domestically and internationally.

As repeatedly stated by the president of Georgia, she will veto amendments to the electoral code, as well as any law that does not align with the European path of the country,” the statement from the administration of the president of Georgia reads.