Skip to main content

Georgian ruling party's sway over election commission boosted before October poll

1 min

The speaker of Georgia's parliament on Monday signed off a law giving the assembly more power over the electoral commission ahead of a parliamentary election due by October, in what critics have called a pre-vote power grab.

President Salome Zourabichvili, Reuters/Irakli Gedenidze

President Salome Zourabichvili, Reuters/Irakli Gedenidze

The speaker of Georgia's parliament on Monday signed off a law giving the assembly more power over the electoral commission ahead of a parliamentary election due by October, in what critics have called a pre-vote power grab.

Parliament last week overrode a veto of the bill by President Salome Zourabichvili, who was elected with the ruling Georgian Dream party's support but has since accused it of anti-democratic and pro-Russian tendencies.

The law enables parliament, controlled by the Georgian Dream bloc, to nominate members of the commission from candidates chosen by speaker Shalva Papuashvili, also a member of the bloc.

Critics have said that the move will entrench Georgian Dream's control over elections, at a time when the government has been accused of becoming more authoritarian.

Zourabichvili had said the changes could lead to a "biased and ruling party-controlled election administration".

Polls indicate that Georgian Dream, seeking a fourth successive term, remains the most popular party but has lost ground since 2020, when it won a narrow parliamentary majority.

The party is widely believed to be controlled by its founder, former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia's richest man.

It has governed since 2012, the longest stint in power of any party since the South Caucasus country won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Reporting by Felix Light

Tags

Related

Politics

UN peacekeeper death toll in eastern Congo rises to six

Malawi and Uruguay said four of their troops were killed in clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo against Rwandan-backed rebels, bringing the death toll among United Nations and southern African peacekeepers to at least 13 by Sunday.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.