Baker Delivered US Recommendations Over CEC

(Tbilisi, July 6, 2003, Civil Georgia) – Former US Secretary of State James Baker before leaving Georgia left the US recommendation over the rule of composition of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to the Georgian authorities.

According to the proposal the CEC should be composed with the five representatives of the pro-Presidential political parties, opposition parties will be presented in the commission with the nine members. The Chairman of the CEC will be appointed by the OSCE.

The opposition leaders welcomed the recommendation. At the news briefing today Zurab Zhvania of the United Democrats thanked US administration for “great interest towards the elections in Georgia.”

“It was very wise decision to dispatch Mr. James Baker in Georgia, which is Shevardnadze’s old friend. That is why involvement of Baker in election process would not cause any irritation neither of opposition, nor the President,” Zurab Zhvania said at the news briefing today. 

However opposition fears that the authorities might not take into consideration the US recommendations.

“Elizabeth Jones, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, which accompanied James Baker in Georgia stays in Tbilisi to further convince the government to agree on the proposal,” Zurab Zhvania said.

The Presidential-backed election alliance holds a meeting today to discuss the recommendations proposed by the United States.

“To say the truth we are not really glad with this proposal, however we will do our best to ensure fair and free elections,” one of the leaders of the Presidential-backed election alliance Vakhtang Rcheulishvili said.

It is anticipated that the James Baker’s mission will make a breakthrough in deadlock between the opposition and the government over the rule of composition of the CEC.