OSCE/ODIHR interim report: A number of past ODIHR recommendations remain unaddressed in the amendments

The legal framework was substantially amended on 28 June 2021 following a political agreement reached on 19 April aimed at resolving a political deadlock stemming from the 2020 parliamentary elections, - reads the OSCE/ODIHR interim report on the upcoming elections in Georgia.

“The amendments modified the composition and appointment of election commissions, introduced a higher proportional component for local elections, extended the timeframes for dispute resolution, introduced mandatory random recounts and additional measures to address voter intimidation and misuse of state resources. These changes partially addressed several ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations. However, a number of past ODIHR recommendations remain unaddressed, including those related to limitations on voting rights, electoral dispute resolution, and further measures to counter the misuse of state resources”, reads the report.

According to the document, the new CEC chairperson and two CEC non-partisan members were elected by parliament on 2 August through an “anti-deadlock” mechanism of simple majority, following three unsuccessful attempts to reach a qualified majority.

“Several ODIHR EOM interlocutors expressed varying degrees of confidence in the CEC’s impartiality and stated that resorting to the “anti-deadlock mechanism” was a missed opportunity for a consensus-based election administration; yet others noted that the pluralistic composition has contributed to substantive discussions in the CEC sessions. To date, the election administration has complied with all legal deadlines, and technical preparations are ongoing. Over 3.4 million voters are registered for these elections. From 2 September, voter lists have been displayed in PECs for public scrutiny. Most ODIHR EOM interlocutors have not raised concerns about the accuracy of the voter list”, reads the document.

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