Recommendations

Many new regulations have been introduced in the electoral legislation since 2011, after the Parliament of Georgia adopted the new Election Code. Although a number of legal gaps have been remedied as a result, certain problematic issues remain as evidenced by the experience of past elections. Practice has revealed inconsistent interpretation of certain norms by different election stakeholders. There is also a clear need for the electoral legislation to respond to challenges created by development of modern technology. Changes need to be made in regard to electoral disputes, use of administrative (public) resources, campaigning, vote buying, etc. 

One important challenge that remains is improving the electoral system and addressing related problems to ensure that election results are fair. 

The present recommendations have been prepared by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, and the Transparency International – Georgia, based on the analysis of practical and legislative irregularities on and following the Election Day over the past years, as well as applicable international standards. The recommendations address a number of problems in the electoral legislation with the aim of helping create a more competitive and healthier electoral environment.