No Agreement with ‘Some Opposition’ on Election Code

Some opposition parties have “radical demands” which may scuttle talks, a senior lawmaker from the ruling party has warned.

“Some of the opposition parties are still using the language of ultimatums,” Mikheil Machavariani, the Vice-Speaker of Parliament, told reporters after talks with the opposition on November 15. “It seems that they want to sabotage the negotiations. Their demands are becoming more and more radical in parallel with our compromises.”

Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze; Vice-Speaker Machavariani; MP Giga Bokeria and MP Paliko Kublashvili from the ruling party met with representatives of four opposition parties – Conservatives, Republicans, New Rights and Industrialists – on November 15 to negotiate on issues relating to the election code.

Machavariani’s comments have been interpreted as a broadside primarily directed at the two parties representing the nine-party opposition coalition in the talks – the Republicans and Conservatives.

The main point of contention between the sides is the composition of the election administrations.

The ruling National Movement party is proposing that the Central Election Commission (CEC) have six representatives from six opposition parties (New Rights, Industrialists, Labor, Freedom, Republicans and Conservatives) and seven, including the chairman, from the ruling party. In lower level election administrations, in particular Precinct Election Commissions, the government is suggesting that only two opposition parties – the New Rights and Industrialists – have representation.

The New Rights and Industrialists seem amenable to the government’s proposals. Other opposition parties, however, remain unhappy. They also want representation in the lower level election administrations and equal representation – six each – for both the opposition and the ruling party in the Central Election Commission.

“We are currently deadlocked,” MP Kakha Kukava of the Conservative Party said after the meeting. “But dialogue will continue.”

Meanwhile, Parliament began consideration of amendments to the election code on November 15, shortly after the opposition – government talks had finished. The amendments, however, do not deal with the issues that still remain unresolved with the opposition.
 
“These amendments only include the issues which have already been agreed [with the opposition], including the proposal that we should have representatives of political parties in the election administrations,” Paliko Kublashvili, a lawmaker from the ruling party told Parliament. “The exact rule of on the composition of the election administrations, including issues like how many members can be nominated by the parties, will be discussed later.”

The current Central Election Commission (CEC) is composed of certified electoral officials, who, by law, should not have any party affiliations.

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