The new resolution by the Central Election Commission, which stipulates that the distribution of functions for members of the Precinct Election Commission will occur one week before the election rather than on the election day, has been appealed in the Tbilisi City Court.
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Giorgi Sioridze, a member of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and a representative of the Lelo party, disagrees with the legal basis of the resolution. He also believes that if the functions of commission members are known a week in advance, the authorities will have the opportunity to exert pressure on them.
"As the elections approach, Georgian Dream is doing everything it can to secure the support of the Georgian people and extend its stay in power. Georgian Dream has not hesitated to implement electoral reforms that regress the country’s path towards European integration. The adopted reforms contradict the nine reservations and legitimize a one-party CEC, which elected an illegitimate CEC chairman. The CEC has become a single-party body that adopts resolutions benefiting Georgian Dream. With the latest electoral reform, opposition members of the CEC have lost their last legal leverage, and the support of opposition members is no longer necessary for passing resolutions.
On Friday, the CEC adopted a resolution that allows for the redistribution of functions among the members of the precinct election commission one week before the election, rather than on election day. This is highly significant because it means the State Security Service will know the identities of those holding the most crucial functions a week in advance, giving them the opportunity to exert pressure and influence.
Legally, this is problematic because the CEC does not have the authority to make this determination. Nonetheless, the one-party CEC proceeded with the decision. Therefore, the coalition "Strong Georgia" is appealing the CEC's decision," said Sioridze.
The Tbilisi City Court has accepted the lawsuit, and the trial will take place tomorrow, August 20.
According to Giorgi Santuriani, head of the CEC's legal department, in polling stations where elections will use electronic technologies, the drawing of lots to distribute functions among commission members is conducted seven days before the election. "It was important to ensure uniformity both at technological polling stations and those using traditional voting methods. The names, surnames, and data of the Precinct Election Commission members are already known. Therefore, moving the lottery procedure to the day of voting no later than the seventh day does not essentially change the circumstances," Santuriani said.
The parliamentary elections will be held on October 26. Based on the CEC's decision on August 16, the chairman of the precinct election commission must assign the following functions to commission members by October 19: voter flow regulator, voter registrar, portable ballot box taker, supervisor of the ballot box, and special envelopes.
As announced at the CEC session, approximately 2,200 polling stations will use electronic devices for the parliamentary elections, while 700 stations will use traditional voting methods.
