New Deadlines Set for CEC Chair Election

Parliament, which was summoned for an extraordinary session on January 12, passed an amendment to the election code, setting new deadlines for electing new chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The amendment became required as the previous deadlines, set as a result of amendments to the election code passed by the Parliament in later December, were violated.

The President was originally scheduled to name three candidates for CEC chairmanship by January 8. He, however, said on January 11, that more time was needed and no hasty decisions should be made on the matter.

With the new provision in the election code, President Saakashvili has to nominate the three candidates on January 12 and the opposition members of CEC would be given time to elect one from three nominees no later than January 14.

If six opposition CEC members fail to elect the new chairperson, the process will then move to the Parliament and the lawmakers will have to elect one from three nominees within seven days. They were also asking what the reason of a failure to meet the initial deadline was.

During the discussions in the Parliament, the lawmakers from the parliamentary lawmakers slammed the President for missing the initial deadlines. But MP from ruling party Giorgi Gabashvili responded that dates were not of “primary importance”. Another lawmakers from the ruling party, Akaki Minashvili, said there was no need “to be fixated” on debating on the issues of dates and deadlines.

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