The Legal Affairs Committee of the Georgian Parliament did not uphold President Salome Zourabichvili’s veto on the controversial amendments to the Election Code. During the session on Friday, the parliamentary secretary of the President, Giorgi Mskhiladze, presented the President’s motivated remarks regarding the draft law.
The draft law, which was passed by Parliament in three readings, stipulates that if resolutions and personnel changes in the Central Election Commission (CEC) do not secure two-thirds majority support, they can be adopted by a simple majority in a re-vote. If enacted, this change would enable the CEC to pass resolutions without opposition votes.
Additionally, the bill abolishes the CEC advisory group, an entity established under the European Council President Charles Michel agreement , which included representatives from the Public Defender’s office and local and international observation organisations.
The President’s veto document argued that this change allowed decisions to be made without cross-party consultation. The President maintained that the qualified majority decision-making mechanism fostered consensus, which was crucial for confidence in the CEC and the election process.
After the committee members rejected the President’s remarks, they voted in favour of the original version of the law.
The parliamentary majority plans to override the President’s veto in the upcoming plenary session. Parliamentary elections in Georgia are scheduled for October 26, where MPs will be elected solely through a proportional system. Parliamentary mandates will be allocated among political parties that surpass the 5 percent threshold.
