President Vetoes Electoral Code Amendments

President Salome Zurabishvili vetoed the amendments to the Electoral Code that would have changed the procedure for electing the chairman and members of the Central Election Commission (CEC). The president expressed concern about the proposed changes, stating, “election of the chair and members with 76 votes instead of 100 eliminates the need for consensus-based decisions and increases the risk of polarization.”

The changes passed by the parliament would also strip the President of the right to pre-select candidates and submit them to the MP’s approval, transferring this function to the Speaker of the Parliament, potentially leading to one-party decisions.

The President suggested that the Chairman and members of the CEC should be elected with at least 90 votes, similar to the appointment process for the public defender, adding, “This is necessary to maintain and strengthen trust in elections and election administration.”

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