Amendments to Election Code Proposed

The ruling party proposed on March 14 a number of amendments to the election code in line with recent constitutional amendments on electing one majoritarian MP in each of the 75 single-mandate constituencies. The amendments also concern the composition of district election commissions (DEC) and some other technical issues related to electoral procedures.

The amendments propose an increase in the number of DEC members from the current five to 13, with six to be appointed by opposition parties. Currently all five members in each of the 75 district election commissions are certified election officials. Nominally they are independent of any party, but in fact are ruling party nominees. The proposal does not meet an opposition demand for parity at all election commission levels.

The DECs will also have increased powers, with the right to tabulate votes cast in the precincts and the right to cancel election results at given polling stations. DECs were denied these rights during the January 5 presidential election.

The proposed draft amendments also call for the abolition of additional voter lists and the accompanying practice of voter registration on polling day.

Election observers and other election stake-holders will also have the right to immediately access CCTV polling station footage. They will, however, have to indicate a concrete time for an alleged violation and will only be given access to that particular portion of footage. MP Pavle Kublashvili of the ruling party, who presented the amendments, defended this restriction, saying CCTV footage should not be used as a pretext for dragging out the vote tabulation process. 

If the amendments are approved, majoritarian MP candidates will no longer need supporters’ signatures to be officially registered as a candidate. Registration procedures for political parties will also be eased with only 30,000 signatures needed instead of 50,000. 

During the parliamentary hearings, MP Davit Kirkitadze of the ruling party again proposed that four majoritarian lawmakers for South Ossetian and Abkhaz constituencies be allocated at the expense of Tbilisi. January’s presidential election demonstrated that the opposition is more popular in the capital city than in rural areas. MP Pavle Kublashvili responded that the proposal could be discussed during the second hearing on the amendments.