Watchdogs Criticize Election Official Test

Tests for would-be election administration officials lacked transparency, two election watchdog organizations said on September 18.

322 people out of 453 applicants passed the election official certification test on September 14-15 and are now eligible to take a seat in election administrations. Candidates seeking to become members of election commissions must be certified and have no political party affiliation. 

The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) and New Generation ? New Initiative (nGnI), organizations observing the testing process, said in two separate statements that although no serious incidents had been observed, the entire process had been marred with mismanagement.

The testing process was administered by the Central Election Commission (CEC).

Both watchdog organizations have complained that the CEC did not allow them to see exam sheets after the testing was over.

?[This] created many possibilities to easily change exam sheets and greatly decreased the transparency level of the whole process,? the nGnI said.

ISFED said that during the testing process representatives of the CEC were trying to assist some of the would-be election officials.

Currently there are two vacancies in the Central Election Commission ? the main body with responsibility for administering elections in Georgia. The chairmanship of the CEC is one of the two positions open.

Although both posts are officially open to public competition, Levan Tarkhnishvili, the current chairman of the Board of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, is widely expected to become the new CEC chairman.

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