The President of Georgia has vetoed the amendments to the Election Code, which changes the procedure for electing the Chairperson and members of the Central Election Commission [CEC].

As the Presidential administration reported, Salome Zourabichvili announces the competition, creates a candidate selection commission, and introduces the nominees to the Parliament.

However, as per the changes, the Chairman will do so, while MPs back the nominee, “resulting in a 1-party decision.”

The President emphasized that choosing the CEC Chairperson and members with 76 votes rather than 100 votes “scraps the requirement for consensus-based choices and raises the possibility of polarization. Hence, the veto seeks to preserve this consensus”.

“The President suggests an election with at least 90 votes, similar to the public defender’s case. This is necessary to maintain and strengthen trust in the elections and CEC”, - adds the Administration.