Georgian ruling party proposes amendments to tighten election oversight, fines for “interference”

The ruling Georgian Dream party has introduced a series of amendments to the country’s election legislation, aiming to strengthen penalties for interference with the work of the election commission and further restrict the activities of election observers during campaigns.

Under the current law, individuals found to be interfering with the election commission’s functions face a fine of 500 GEL. However, the new amendments, which are under review by Parliament, would significantly increase the penalty to 2,000 GEL for such actions.
The proposed changes are being spearheaded by members of the Georgian Dream, including Givi Mikanadze, Archil Gorduladze, Aleksandre Tabatadze, Davit Matikashvili, Rati Ionatamishvili, Tornike Cheishvili, Aluda Ghudushauri, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, and Guram Macharashvili.

One of the most notable changes concerns the role of election observers. Under the new provisions, heads and observers of election monitoring organizations would be prohibited from participating in pre-election campaigning or engaging in any form of electioneering.

The amendments also propose new criteria for the appointment of local observers, journalists, and representatives of political parties or election subjects. The goal, according to Georgian Dream lawmakers, is to ensure a more transparent and unbiased election process by explicitly defining the roles of different stakeholders involved in the election.

Critics, however, have raised concerns about the potential implications of these changes for the independence of election observation and the transparency of the electoral process in Georgia.