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
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
Ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Thursday he would accept no other government position besides his former job, escalating a political crisis that has gripped Ukraine at a pivotal point in the war with Russia.
Moldova's parliament approved a new government led by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan on Tuesday, after he laid out his cabinet's programme, pledging to revive the economy while keeping the country on its European course.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has endorsed former President Macky Sall's candidacy to become the next United Nations secretary-general, the foreign ministry said on Monday, giving his predecessor crucial backing from his home country despite deep political divisions.
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.