Georgian Parliament overrides President’s veto on electoral amendments

The Georgian Parliament on Thursday overrode the President’s veto on the bill of amendments to the Election Code. During the plenary session, the President’s motivated remarks were rejected with zero votes in favor and 63 against. 

Subsequently, the version of the draft law passed in three readings was finally approved by 78 votes.

According to the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed bill, if the resolutions and personnel changes in the domestic election administration did not receive the support of two-thirds of the members, they will be adopted by a simple majority in the re-voting. After the implementation of this change, the Central Election Commission will be able to pass resolutions without the votes of the opposition.

The same bill abolishes the CEC advisory group, which was part of the agreement in the European Council President Charles Michel document. This group, established within ten days of the appointment of elections, included representatives of the Public Defender and local and international observation organizations.

The presidential veto document stated that this change effectively allowed decisions to be made without any consultation between the parties. The President believed that the qualified majority decision-making mechanism created a prerequisite for consensus, which was crucial for confidence in the CEC, the election process, and the elections held or to be held. Parliamentary elections in Georgia are scheduled for October 26, 2024. MPs will be elected solely by proportional representation, with mandates distributed among political parties that cross the 5 percent threshold.