Due to recent amendments in the Election Code, activities of the Central Election Commission (CEC) has come under renewed discreditation.

“The Chairperson of “International Transparency – Georgia” (TI) announced during a news briefing today that, “if the draft law is enacted, it will preserve the ongoing trend of consolidating power by the ruling party, will maintain the ruling party’s unrestrained authority in electing professional members of the CEC and exercising full control over the entire hierarchy of the election administration”.

We would like to underline that, there were no any case in the activities of CEC members elected on professional grounds, including the CEC chairperson, that would question their independence or impartiality. Baseless and unsubstantiated claims suggesting that these amendments will result in the hierarchical subordination of the election administration only serve to damage the image of the election administration and serves a political affiliation attempt.

We would like to remind the public that the Central Election Commission of Georgia consists of 17 members, comprising 8 members elected on a professional basis and 9 members appointed by political parties. Decisions are made by the commission and not individually. Therefore, there is no basis for asserting that the commission is influenced by any political party or is biased.

Furthermore, during the news briefing, the head of TI discusses the recommendations of the Venice Commission but says no word on the section of the conclusion emphasizing the importance of independence for political party-appointed members. Instead, the focus is solely on alleging bias among professional members, for which no objective evidence has been reported at any stage.

Accordingly, rather than all electoral stakeholders engaged in the electoral process, including representatives from the non-governmental sector, actively fostering a healthy election environment during this crucial modernization process, unfounded and groundless statements are being announced on their behalf.

We would like to highlight that a crucial indicator of the independence of the election administration is its commitment to upholding the law and ethical norms. In this context, the election administration currently adheres to the highest standards set by existing legislation and remains dedicated to maintaining this level even in case of legislative changes.

The election administration continues its activities in accordance with legislation and international standards, ensuring a high level of professionalism in serving voters during the October 26 elections. We urge all parties involved to refrain from spreading baseless and unsubstantiated information, as it may damage the electoral process and its overall environment”, - reads the statement of the Central Election Commission.