Opposition Coalitions Reject Parliamentary Mandates, For Georgia Calls for Electoral Reforms
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Coalition for Change and Unity National Movement have formally appealed to the Central Election Commission (CEC) to withdraw their candidates from the parliamentary list and prevent their registration as MPs. Nika Gvaramia, spokesperson for Coalition for Change, emphasized that all 82 candidates are prepared to sign a refusal if the CEC or Parliament attempts to register them. Tina Bokuchava of Unity National Movement invoked the Georgian Constitution, which ensures the voluntary nature of holding public office, and requested that none of the candidates be granted a temporary mandate. Both coalitions have rejected the mandates as a protest against what they view as a flawed electoral process.
In contrast, Giorgi Gakharia's For Georgia party has declined to join the appeal. Speaking on TV Pirveli, party representative Anna Buchukuri made it clear that For Georgia will only consider participating in parliament if significant reforms are made to the country's electoral and security institutions.
Buchukuri stated that, for For Georgia, any re-elections must occur under fair conditions. "If we achieve our goal of protecting the electoral will of the Georgian people with the help of international partners, these re-elections must not be held under the same CEC administration, the same State Security Service, or the same Public Defender's Office," she said, underscoring that reforms to these agencies are essential to restoring credibility in the electoral process.
Buchukuri further expressed skepticism that promises of new elections would be enough without meaningful institutional changes. She highlighted that For Georgia was one of the first to publicly refuse to legitimize the current parliament, which they consider "illegitimate". The party's primary goal, she said, is to protect the democratic process and ensure that elections are held fairly, with strong international support for the necessary reforms in Georgia's political landscape.
