CEC spokesperson resigns

By Natalia Kochiashvili

Wednesday, December 2

“I would like to thank each of my colleagues, partners, journalists, people, with whom I have many years of business or friendship for their cooperation,” Mikeladze wrote.

Ana Mikeladze, who served the post of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Spokesperson since May 2015, announced her resignation on December 1 via a Facebook post. According to her, it is not a ‘personal decision.'

“I have always been guided by the principles of professionalism, justice, and fairness,” she underscored. Assessing the move as a ‘difficult, but important decision.’

Mikeladze had not led CEC press briefings since November 2, soon after the October 31 parliamentary elections, so there have been rumors about her resignation for several weeks. The resignation coincides with the contested parliamentary polls induced protests by the opposition, that accuse the CEC, among others, for allegedly rigging the election results. The opposition parties that have overcome the 1% threshold to enter parliament, reject the results, and refuse to enter the new parliament. They demand the Georgian Dream led the government to yield to their demands: the resignation of the CEC Chair Tamar Zhvania, scheduling snap elections, the release of alleged political prisoners.