Georgian Dream once again confirms the concern expressed by our international partners that the line between the state and the ruling party has been erased, - said Giorgi Sioridze, the opposition Deputy Chairman of the CEC.

According to him, "the election of the head of the CEC is one of the most important issues in the state life of Georgia, and the ruling party acts on the principle of wrestling in this process as well."

"If last year they had public image motivation to fulfill their obligation under the April 19 agreement and to reach a consensus in exchange for opposition entering the parliament after the boycott, this red line has already been crossed for them. When the CEC chairman was elected by one party in 2021, it was the first sign that their concessions and constructive format were just a trap and a farce. Today, the cunning has been replaced with arbitrariness - Georgian Dream clearly declared that the CEC chairman will become whoever they desire, for as many 6-month periods as needed. This is evidenced by the legislative changes adopted before the New Year, according to which the four-stage voting and the four-week intervals between voting were abolished and in one day only 2 votings suffice the election of the preferred candidates of the ruling party. Representatives of the Georgian Dream have directly stated that the four-month consulting process for electing someone for six months period is nonsense, thus directly confirming the above and not even expressing readiness to negotiate with the opposition," Sioridze said.

Giorgi Sioridze, an opposition deputy chairman of the CEC and a member of Lelo, says discreditation of the candidate selection process is also indicated by the fact that non-governmental organizations with a high reputation are not involved in the process.

As Sioridze notes, despite all this, a consensus could have been reached between the opposition and the ruling team.

"Although this year, due to the amendments made, the competition process was considered a step backwards compared to last year's competition, among the candidates for the CEC chairmanship, there is a person who, on the one hand, is a high-level professional and, on the other hand, has never been part of the nomenclature. Tengiz Tevzadze may be the candidate on whom a consensus can be reached between the parliamentary majority and the minority. This consensus would be in line with the purpose of the legislation, as well as the spirit of the April 19 agreement, and would be aimed at de-escalating the tense political situation," Sioridze said.

source: IPN