The Spokesperson on Local and Regional Elections of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Stewart Dickson (United Kingdom, ILDG), has made the following statement:

“I am concerned about the proposed amendments to the Electoral Code on the electoral system which are being considered through an expedited procedure in the Parliament of Georgia. If adopted, these amendments, planned to be implemented in the 2025 local elections, would reduce the share of councillors elected in the municipal councils via a proportional system, while increasing the number of majoritarian members, thus partially returning to the situation of 2017.

“In line with international standards, I would like to remind those proposing these changes of the importance of the principle of electoral stability. This principle implies that changes to the electoral system within one year of an election should only be considered in exceptional circumstances, such as broad political consensus, addressing non-compliance with electoral standards and implementing national court decisions and international recommendations. However, the current climate of extreme polarisation and political tension in Georgia poses significant challenges to achieving such an inclusive and extensive public consultation with all relevant stakeholders.

“Since the last Congress election observation mission in Georgia in 2021, the Electoral Code has been amended more than 15 times, often without extensive public consultations, such as on 4 April this year with the abolition of gender quotas on electoral lists. Rules that change frequently, notably on decisive aspects of seat allocation, may confuse voters and ultimately impact the trust citizens put in the democratic process.

“I call on the Georgian authorities to refrain from a hasty adoption of these draft amendments, without open dialogue and consultations with representatives of all political forces, local authorities and NGOs, and to ensure that the stability and integrity in electoral processes at all levels are fully respected.

“The Congress is committed to supporting all efforts in this direction, in the spirit of its longstanding cooperation with Georgian authorities, and within the framework of the forthcoming monitoring of the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Georgia. The Congress also stands ready to observe the local elections scheduled for 2025, pending an invitation from Georgian authorities.”