Ruling party MP accuses President of attacking election administration under “foreign instructions”

Irakli Zarkua, MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday accused President Salome Zourabichvili of “attacking” the country’s Central Election Commission through “foreign instructions” after the President vetoed electoral amendments initiated by the GD.

In his press comments, Zarkua also accused Zourabichvili of creating a platform uniting the “radical wing” of the domestic opposition ahead of the October general elections, claiming such unity lacked public approval.

“The president, who should be impartial, independent, and neutral according to the constitution, now leads the radicals’ platform. Moreover, she does not have the ambition to be a leader, but she received an order from outside,” Zarkua asserted. He further noted, “now they are targeting the Central Election Commission because they know they cannot succeed in the elections or overcome the election threshold.”

The bill, 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 organizations.

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.