I signed the law on the amendment to the Election Code, the strange rule, which was in effect until now, was not developed based on the dialogue of the parties, but was the persistent idea of the mediator, writes the Speaker of the Parliament on the social network.

“Today I signed into law the amendments to the “Election Code” that will give an opportunity to the Parliament of Georgia to overcome an almost 3-years long stalemate created by the “April 19 Agreement” and elect professional members and a chairperson of the Central Election Administration (CEC).

I would like to remind that previous regulation – electing CEC members with 2/3 majority and appointing an opposition politician as a substitute chairperson – does not exist in any country. Moreover, this strange rule was not elaborated based on the dialogue between the parties, but was an idea insisted by the mediator; and it obviously has not worked and would not have worked, especially during the period before the upcoming elections.

It is also a fact that the opposition would use this stalemate as an excuse for not recognising the elections results.

The law that brings us to a stalemate, shall be amended. This is an axiom. And the stalemate created by the law that can facilitate radicalism and damage the country, shall be amended as soon as possible.

Despite annuling the “April 19 Agreement’, we gave almost 3 years to this experimental regulation to work. However, we cannot allow futile experiments before the upcoming elections.

Georgian people gave us the mandate to rule the country not to diminish democratic institutions but to strengthen them”, - writes Shalva Papuashvili.