CEC Will Be Staffed Before the End of January

Central Election Commission will be staffed before the end of January, 2010. This issue and terms for the election of the members and head of CEC will be envisaged in the draft-amendments to the Election Code of Georgia.

The authority of CEC members, selected through competition, should expire immediately after the new law is enacted; no later than December 30, 2009 the president should release a decree on holding a new competition of CEC members and competition commission.

According to the draft-law, applicants should submit their documents from 4 till 8 January, 2010. But from January 8, 2010 up to January11, the competition commission should submit 2 or 3 applications for each vacant place at the CEC to the president. The presidents should submit 2 candidates to the parliament within the same term. The parliament should elect CEC members within 7 days after January 11.

As for the head of CEC, the president should elect 3 candidates for the position of the chairperson of CEC after consulting the issue with non-governmental organizations and introduce them to CEC members selected by political parties.

No later than January 20, 2010 CEC meeting should be held to elect the chairperson; the members of political parties should elect the chairperson with majority of votes. If opposition parties fail to elect the chairperson, the parliament and the government should elect one of three candidates.

The parliament should enact the amendments to the Election Code before the end of the year.

Source: Interpressnews