CEC Decision on Voters Number Casts Controversy

According to the decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) adopted late on November 13, the number of voters will be determined only by those ballots which were cast for particular political party.

The canceled ballots, which include the ballots of voters, who did not vote for any party, and ballots which were incorrectly filled, will not be counted.

Thus it becomes easer to clear 7% barrier, necessary to secure seats in the Parliament. Opposition says that this decision was adopted in order to let the Industrialists and the New Rights parties, which allegedly cooperate with the authorities, to clear 7% barrier.

The legal experts claim that the CEC’s decision is illegal. “With this decision the CEC announced that the position of those voters, who did not vote for any party, stood in the line for hours at the polling stations in vain, as their canceled ballots will not be counted,” Tina Khidasheli of the Young Lawyers Association says.