New Initiative to Allow Executive Official Election Campaigning

Parliament’s Vice Speaker Mikheil Machavariani has proposed amendment to the election code, under which the President and the cabinet members will have the right to participate in a political party’s election campaign, Georgian media reported on March 8.
 
“However, we should define strictly that they [executive authorities] should not spend budgetary funds during the election campaign,” Mikheil Machavariani said.
 
The current election legislation prohibits both the President and other officials from the executive government to participate in a political party’s election campaign.

President Saakashvili, who is the chairman of ruling National Movement party, was slammed by opposition for taking, as they put it, sometimes direct and sometimes indirect participation in his party’s election campaign during the MP by-elections last October.