Parliament to begin reviewing proposed amendments to the Election Code on November 6
The Parliament of Georgia is set to begin reviewing proposed amendments to the Election Code. The bill, prepared by Georgian Dream MPs, will be discussed by the Legal Issues Committee and the Regional Policy Committee on November 6.
One of the key proposed amendments concerns the procedures for challenging election results. Political parties participating in elections and election monitoring organizations may be subject to specific conditions and requirements when appealing the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) final summary protocol. Without meeting these requirements, their complaints will not be accepted for court proceedings.
Specifically, a new article will be added to the Election Code, stipulating that the CEC’s final summary protocol may only be challenged if data recorded in the summary protocols of Precinct Election Commissions (PECs), which must be incorporated into the CEC’s final protocol, are missing, incomplete, or incorrectly recorded. The same applies if the results of legally binding court rulings concerning violations of election legislation are missing, incomplete, or incorrectly reflected in the CEC’s final protocol.
Under the draft legislation, complaints submitted to the court in violation of these requirements will not be accepted for consideration. Furthermore, if a complaint is accepted, the court will be authorized to examine only the circumstances specified in the complaint. If a relevant violation is established, the court may instruct the CEC to correct the corresponding data in its final summary protocol.
Another proposed change would remove the obligation of District Election Commissions (DECs) to randomly select up to five polling stations and conduct a recount of their voting results no later than the sixth day after election day. The relevant provision will be removed from the Election Code.
The powers of election commissions concerning the tabulation of election results will also change. Instead of District Election Commissions, the Central Election Commission will be responsible for summarizing the final results of parliamentary elections, as well as elections for municipal councils (Sakrebulos) and mayors. The CEC will also issue the final summary protocols.
Under the proposed amendments, the deadline for summarizing election results will be reduced from 26 days to 15 days. The final results of parliamentary elections, as well as elections for the capital's and all municipal governing bodies, must be announced no later than the 15th day after election day.
In addition, the deadlines for electoral subjects and candidates to withdraw their candidacies will be changed. The date on which the newly elected Sakrebulo, its members, and mayors assume their powers will also be brought forward: instead of the 14th day after publication of the final election results, it will be set for the ninth day.
The deadline for submitting reports to the State Audit Office on funds spent from the date elections are called through election day will also change. Specifically, electoral subjects that, according to preliminary results, receive the legally required number of votes in the election will have to submit their reports no later than the fifth day after election day. Under the current legislation, the deadline is the 12th day after election day.
Another proposed change would transfer certain powers currently held by the CEC and District Election Commissions directly to their respective chairpersons.
Under the amendments, decisions on the registration or refusal to register election monitoring organizations will be issued by the chairpersons of the CEC or the relevant District Election Commissions, rather than by the commissions themselves.
Similarly, decisions appointing observers to monitor the printing of ballot papers and final summary protocols will be issued by the CEC Chairperson instead of the Central Election Commission.
The bill was initiated by Georgian Dream MPs Nodar Turdzeladze, Archil Gorduladze, Tornike Chieshvili, Davit Matikashvili, Aluda Ghudushauri, and Irakli Shatakishvili. Davit Matikashvili will present the draft legislation to the parliamentary committees.
