Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has vetoed the amendments to the Election Code, which changes the procedure for electing the chairman and members of the Central Election Commission, the Presidential administration reported on Monday.
It explained that the President announces the competition, creates a candidate selection commission, and introduces the nominees to the Parliament. However, as per the changes, the Speaker will do so, while MPs back the nominee, “resulting in a one-party decision.”
The President emphasized that choosing the CEC chair and members with 76 votes rather than 100 votes “scraps the requirement for consensus-based choices and raises the possibility of polarization.” “Hence, the veto seeks to preserve this consensus.”
As the administration noted, the President suggests an election with at least 90 votes, similar to the public defender’s case, adding “This is necessary to maintain and strengthen trust in the elections and CEC.”
