The overall well-administered Election Day, transparency of the electoral process and confidence in the performance of the Central Election Commission were highlighted by Congress Rapporteur Stewart DICKSON (United Kingdom, ILDG) during a debate on the municipal elections held in Georgia on 21 October 2017. The debate was organised on 28 March 2018 in the Local Chamber, on the occasion of the 34th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. 

Mr DICKSON who carried out the Electoral Assessment Mission together with his Congress colleagues Vice-President Barbara TOCE (Italy, SOC) and Jos WIENEN (Netherlands, EPP-CCE) underlined the good collaboration with the OSCE/ODIHR Mission, which allowed the visit of some 30 polling stations on Election Day and a well-coordinated deployment of observation teams. 

In an electoral context marked by the clear dominance of the ruling party, the Rapporteur recalled that it was the first time that independent candidates were allowed to run for local elections. Such provision fostered a vivid election campaign and played a role in the media coverage marked by increasing professionalism.

The Rapporteur also pointed to instances of misuse of administrative resources, which seems to be of specific relevance at the local level and included mobilisation and pressure allegedly exerted on public sector employees to vote in favour of the ruling party. The delegation received also reports about some irregularities at polling stations, in particular during the counting. 

The Information Report recognises the amendments to the Election Code introduced in July 2017, but proposes further steps towards a less complicated electoral system. Moreover, in the light of the current Georgian legislation framework that allows voters with temporary registration to cast a ballot in local elections, the Rapporteur referred to Congress Recommendation 369 (2015) which provides that only voters who are permanently residing in a specific municipality should be enfranchised at the local level. Consequently, the Congress encourages the Georgian authorities to take this into consideration for future reforms and to complement their efforts to establish the accuracy of voters' lists.

Decentralisation and the strengthening of municipalities and regions are still in the early stages of development in Georgia. The Congress therefore pays special attention to financial independence as an instrumental mechanism for the further development of local authorities’ capacities, especially in the situation of a high level of exodus from rural areas into the capital city Tbilisi.

• Report CPL34(2018)03
• Presentation by Stewart DICKSON (United-Kingdom, ILDG)
• Video of the debate
   
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