Delegation of Venice Commission to visit Georgia on October 26-28

On October 26-28, experts of the Venice Commission plan to visit Georgia with the aim to be acquainted with amendments to the Electoral Code. With their opinion in hand, the parliament will start considering the bill with amendments.

Now, Georgia is discussing the draft of the new Electoral Code. The members of the pro-presidential parliamentary majority are discussing the draft with political parties and international NGOs. The opposition has a number of claims to the draft of the new electoral legislation.

"We had documented an agreement with the ruling party 'United National Movement' on 12 points of amendments to the Electoral Code. And then, they put us before the fact – an entirely new code was drafted," said Mamuka Katsitadze, a member of the oppositional party "New Right-Wingers".

According to his story, his party's main claims to the bill are in abolishing voters' marking and refusal from installing video cameras at polling stations under the pretext that they influence voters.

Pavle Kublashvili, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, has noted, "The idea of video cameras belonged to the ruling party and was withdrawn under recommendations of the Venice Commission."

"Their 2010 conclusion stressed that video cameras do not violate the secrecy of voting, but have some influence on voters," he said.

As to the marking of voters, Kublashvili has assured that should the opposition present strong arguments, the discussion may continue in the future.