Georgian Parliament will override President Salome Zurabishvili’s veto on the amendment to the Election Code of Georgia, said Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.
The Speaker said the President’s motivated remarks are devoid of ground. Shalva Papuashvili clarified that the bill included amendments in the regulations, which were enacted one month ago since they were signed by the Parliament Speaker and the right of veto is not extended on that part.
Shalva Papuashvili denied the allegations that the amendment contradicts European standards and the opinion of the Venice Commission.
Papuashvili went on to say that the amendment is not in conflict with the EC’s nine steps either, since the recommendation under the fourth point is to hold the elections fairly, in a competitive environment.
The Speaker criticized the President’s veto, saying it would motivate the opposition to protest the election results. He claimed that the opposition MP’s appointment as the chairperson of the election administration was a scheme.
“We see the pressure exerted on the CEC chairperson, be it from the media, the opposition, or the non-governmental sector. They desire to remove him from the chairmanship and seek the Lelo party to hold the elections,” he said.
Shalva Papuashvili believes that President Salome Zurabishvili’s only motive is to give “an excuse” to the United National Movement (UNM) not to recognize the results of the elections for the fourth time. He said that eight opposition parties were represented in the CEC, and the speculation of the single-party support of the CEC chairperson was a blatant lie.
“The parliament is a supreme legislative body, and the majority is elected by the majority of Georgian people. This is democracy, and all the rest is fiction. Elections will be held on October 26, and you will see on October 27 that this would be the pretext for non-recognition of the election outcomes,” he said.
President Salome Zurabishvili vetoed amendments to the Election Code of Georgia on March 5.
