Zhvania Re-elected As Central Election Commission Head
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, Decemer 26
Tamar Zhvania has been re-elected as the head of the Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) amid the opposition’s protest regarding her alleged “deals” with the Georgian Dream ruling party and the party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili “to fabricate” the recently held presidential elections.
The European Georgia and the United National Movement members claimed that the Georgian Dream endorsed presidential candidate, now already President Salome Zurabishvili, named Zhvania for the role to “thank her” for her support in the elections.
The opposition says that the Rustavi 2 private broadcaster showed footage which “clearly depicted” unlawfully putting ballot papers in the box.
Zurabishvili named three candidates for the post offered by NGOs this week, one of which was Zhvania.
Majority of the CEC commission members voted for Zhvania.
12 commission members should have participated in the voting. However, the opposition members of the commission and Zhvania herself refused to cast their votes.
Finally, nine members of the commission took part in the procedure and Zhvania received eight votes.
His opponent from the civil sector Lado Bozhadze received one vote and another opponent from the governmental administration Mariam Shelegia- no votes.
“I was the only person who appealed to the Prosecutor’s Office when I saw the footage, - Zhvania said about the video footage released by Rustavi 2 TV showing alleged falsification of the elections.
"In this regard, I had a very important assessment. I personally sent the footage to the Prosecutor's Office for the purpose of launching an investigation," Zhvania said.
In 2017 Zhvania was awarded the Joe C. Baxter award of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) for supporting electoral processes.
Zhvania has chaired the CEC since 2013, under the Georgian Dream leadership.
