Georgia - June 2023

Georgian parliament amended the electoral code on 13 June to transfer the authority to nominate members of the Central Election Commission (CEC) from the president to the speaker of the parliament and reduced the necessary votes from 100 to 76 (the governing coalition controls 84 of 150 seats). Candidates will still be taken from a shortlist provided by a committee constituted of civil society, academics, and a representative of the president. The new system replaces one that had been designed by EU Council President Charles Michel, and was part of a deal between the ruling Georgian Dream and opposition parties negotiated in 2021. The EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement said on 22 June that the amendments ran contrary to the 12 priorities set out for Georgia’s EU accession and would need to be reversed for the process to move forward. Georgian experts concurred, saying the changes reduced the CEC’s independence and placed it under the influence of the ruling party.

Sources: Civil.ge, OC Media, Georgian Parliament, President of Georgia, ISFED, European Commission

President Salome Zourabichvili pardoned Nika Gvaramia, former director general of Georgia’s most-watched TV channel Rustavi 2, on 22 June. Gvaramia had served more than a year of a three-and-a-half year sentence on charges of abuse of power related to his financial management of Rustavi 2, which  media law experts called “without legal grounds” and European and American diplomats “excessive”. Zourabichvili issued the pardon after Gvaramia had exhausted his last appeal on 19 June. The pardon, which was sharply criticized by Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, is expected to improve Georgia’s chances of securing EU candidate status on its second attempt, and was welcomed by EU Council President Charles Michel.

Sources: Politico, Voice of America, JAM News, Civil.ge