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MEMORANDUM of Georgian Political Parties on the Basic Pre-conditions for Fair and Democratic Elections
After Georgia has declared independence, democratic and fair elections became an invincible barrier on its way to the development of a democratic state. In spite of the events from November 2003 caused by unfair elections, president Mikheil Saakashvili and his team after coming to the power have deteriorated fair political competition rules even more:
- Multiparty election administration has been formally changed to a professional, but actually single party administration, obedient to the will of the Government;
- Extremely unfair and exceptional model to the international practice of majoritarian elections has been introduced, when all mandates from the multi-mandate majoritarian election district go the winner party and the other parties (even if they have 2/3 of whole votes) do not get any mandate (it is a Georgian variation of the "winner takes all" system);
- The problem with voter registry and electoral lists still stays as a major problem;
- The financing of ruling part’s election campaign from the state budget;
- It was not changed the practice of interpretation by the Court and Election Administration instructed by the ruling party has been increased several times;
- Courts and election administration keep interpreting laws as to the directives of the ruling party;
- Fixing the election date became an instrument for political manipulation by the President of Georgia;
- Even the Constitution was been infringed by the ruling party, ensuring one time simultaneous conduction of presidential and parliamentary elections. As a result of the constitutional amendments term of office of the present parliament has been prolonged, that is creating a rather dangerous precedent.
International society and observers (OSCE, ISFED and Transparency International) have been worried about the developments while 2006 Local Self Government Elections and other listed events following these elections. Those concerns have been described in the corresponding reports and conclusions. As a result Council of Europe and OSCE have initiated an inter-party working group for the eradication of serious problems of the election legislation.
We, the undersigned parties, think that it is the fundamental interest for our country to conduct the fair elections in 2008, have been actively engaged in the above mentioned process for the improvement of election legislation. Herewith, we consider that conduction of fair election will be impossible if the following principals are not foreseen in election administration and for majoritarian election system:
1. In a multi-mandate majoritarian election district:
- Voter should have not one but as many votes as many mandates are for distribution;
- Voter should vote not for the one party team but for the concrete candidates from any parties;
- Mandates should be distributed among as many best result candidates as many mandates are for distribution in the corresponding district;
2. Election Administration:
- Central, district and polling station election commissions should be composed of equal number of each political party being currently financed from the state budget (7 parties). Each party having one member;
- Current composition of the Central Election Commission may be left invariable, added one representative from each party (7 parties);
- District and polling station commissions should be composed of representatives of the political parties, and upon decision of the superior commission 6 other members chosen by the transparent and objective competition;
- If party does not appoint its representative in the commission in a due time, seat will be allocated to the independent candidate chosen by the competition conducted by the higher commission;
- On the important issues foreseen specifically by the law (e.g. abolishment of election registration of candidature, taking out from the election list and etc.) corresponding commissions are making decisions by the 2/3 vote of all members;
We call upon the Government of Georgia, to make a step towards the civil and political consent, independent from narrow party interests and make conditions for ending unhealthy political confrontation in the country, for the conduct of fair and democratic elections in 2008. Without agreement on these issues we do not see any other possibilities and rationale for cooperation with the government on election related issues.
We hope, that International Community will join us in our fair and argumented requests; armed with international experience and awareness with problems from Georgia’s 2003 parliamentary elections, will facilitate achievements of a broad political consensus among the political forces in Georgia.
New Rights Party
Republican Party
Labor Party
Conservative Party
Industry Saves Georgia |
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Memorandum of Georgian Political Parties on the Basic Pre-conditions for Fair and Democratic Elections
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MEMORANDUM of Georgian Political Parties on the Basic Pre-conditions for Fair and Democratic Elections
After Georgia has declared independence, democratic and fair elections became an invincible barrier on its way to the development of a democratic state. In spite of the events from November 2003 caused by unfair elections, president Mikheil Saakashvili and his team after coming to the power have deteriorated fair political competition rules even more:
- Multiparty election administration has been formally changed to a professional, but actually single party administration, obedient to the will of the Government;
- Extremely unfair and exceptional model to the international practice of majoritarian elections has been introduced, when all mandates from the multi-mandate majoritarian election district go the winner party and the other parties (even if they have 2/3 of whole votes) do not get any mandate (it is a Georgian variation of the "winner takes all" system);
- The problem with voter registry and electoral lists still stays as a major problem;
- The financing of ruling part’s election campaign from the state budget;
- It was not changed the practice of interpretation by the Court and Election Administration instructed by the ruling party has been increased several times;
- Courts and election administration keep interpreting laws as to the directives of the ruling party;
- Fixing the election date became an instrument for political manipulation by the President of Georgia;
- Even the Constitution was been infringed by the ruling party, ensuring one time simultaneous conduction of presidential and parliamentary elections. As a result of the constitutional amendments term of office of the present parliament has been prolonged, that is creating a rather dangerous precedent.
International society and observers (OSCE, ISFED and Transparency International) have been worried about the developments while 2006 Local Self Government Elections and other listed events following these elections. Those concerns have been described in the corresponding reports and conclusions. As a result Council of Europe and OSCE have initiated an inter-party working group for the eradication of serious problems of the election legislation.
We, the undersigned parties, think that it is the fundamental interest for our country to conduct the fair elections in 2008, have been actively engaged in the above mentioned process for the improvement of election legislation. Herewith, we consider that conduction of fair election will be impossible if the following principals are not foreseen in election administration and for majoritarian election system:
1. In a multi-mandate majoritarian election district:
- Voter should have not one but as many votes as many mandates are for distribution;
- Voter should vote not for the one party team but for the concrete candidates from any parties;
- Mandates should be distributed among as many best result candidates as many mandates are for distribution in the corresponding district;
2. Election Administration:
- Central, district and polling station election commissions should be composed of equal number of each political party being currently financed from the state budget (7 parties). Each party having one member;
- Current composition of the Central Election Commission may be left invariable, added one representative from each party (7 parties);
- District and polling station commissions should be composed of representatives of the political parties, and upon decision of the superior commission 6 other members chosen by the transparent and objective competition;
- If party does not appoint its representative in the commission in a due time, seat will be allocated to the independent candidate chosen by the competition conducted by the higher commission;
- On the important issues foreseen specifically by the law (e.g. abolishment of election registration of candidature, taking out from the election list and etc.) corresponding commissions are making decisions by the 2/3 vote of all members;
We call upon the Government of Georgia, to make a step towards the civil and political consent, independent from narrow party interests and make conditions for ending unhealthy political confrontation in the country, for the conduct of fair and democratic elections in 2008. Without agreement on these issues we do not see any other possibilities and rationale for cooperation with the government on election related issues.
We hope, that International Community will join us in our fair and argumented requests; armed with international experience and awareness with problems from Georgia’s 2003 parliamentary elections, will facilitate achievements of a broad political consensus among the political forces in Georgia.
New Rights Party
Republican Party
Labor Party
Conservative Party
Industry Saves Georgia |
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David Gamkrelidze MP and Pikria Chikhradze MP met with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe
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On July 6 the opposition groups´ members met with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe Rene van der Linden. The Right Opposition was represented by David Gamkrelidze MP and Pikria Chikhradze MP. The meeting covered topics of upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections, electoral code, facts of encroachment upon Private Property and Human Rights situation in Georgia. |
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The Right Opposition met with the representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia
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On July 9 five Parliamentary and non-Parliamentary opposition parties met in the OSCE office with the representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia. The opposition parties have been working on the election code in a format of working group for three months. As a result, the memorandum was drafted, which considers continuing the work only, if the majority agrees with two requirements: staffing the election administration with the parity rules and reconsidering the majoritarian election system. |
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The Leader of "Right Opposition" David Gamkrelidze MP gives some advice to Georgian President
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Today, on July 5, the "Right Opposition" leader David Gamkrelidze held a conference to respond to Saakashvili´s speech made yesterday at a meeting of the city council´s majority. According to his announcement, the author and the director of the collective TV arrests is the president of Georgia and his source of inspiration is Sadam Husein, who also was arresting people in such manner. He said that it would be more logical, if the president started arresting people from the city council and the city hall of Tbilisi. David Gamkrelidze has drawn attention to incorrect spending of city budget and announced that despite of the doubled taxes and a high cost of living, city budget is spent on fountains and carrousels. President´s statement about Ugulava´s success is cynical and horrible, if only he does not consider spending more than 140 million for vague purposes and 600 million GEL on elections, increased transport costs and increased water and electricity supply prices as a success.
The leader of the party added that whenever people are hungry and poor, hoping on charity canteens, the budget of capital goes to construction of president´s residence, which stood above the dark city yesterday and was enlightened with different colours. David Gamkrelidze advised Saakashvili to stop ostensible fight against corruption and use his energy on people´s prosperity instead of coloring facades. "If Saakashvili really wants to fight against corruption, he must arrest the heads of corruption: Lomaia, Ugulava, and Bendukidze and if he does not do so, we will do it after coming to power." |
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The Right Opposition met with the members of Bavarian Landtag
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Today, on June 20, in the Parliament of Georgia the Right Opposition met with the members of Bavarian Landtag (Parliament). The meeting lasted for two hours and covered the topics of democracy development and opposition´s conditions in Georgia. |
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The New Rights district organisations´ youth wing organised a mini-soccer tournament
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From May 24 until June 14 the New Rights´ district organisations´ youth wing organised a mini-soccer tournament. In a final game Didube-Chugureti district office and party headquarter´s staff met to compete for a first place. The game ended with the victory of Didube-Chugureti district office staff. |
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David Gamkerlidze MP has visited Rustavi high security colony
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Today the New Rights leader has visited the second high security colony of Rustavi. According to the statement of David Gamrelidze MP, among big number of problems the health service is the most pressing in the prison. The Ministry of Health should surely take an interest in this issue. |
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David Gamkrelidze MP met with the head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia Roy Stephen Reeve
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Today, the New Rights Party leader David Gamkrelidze met with head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia Roy Stephen Reeve. The meeting was dedicated to the situation in Tskinvali region, administrative-territorial entity issue and function and role of the OSCE observers in controlling the upcoming Parliamentary and Presidential elections. |
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Manana Nachkebia MP met with the preparatory group members of the Nordic-Baltic 8
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Today, on June 4 the Right Opposition representative Manana Nachkebia MP met with the preparatory group members of the Nordic-Baltic 8 in Georgian Parliament . Manana Nachkebia familiarized the guests with the New Rights Party view regarding Georgia´s foreign policy and development of Democratic processes in the country. |
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On June 2 the New Rights Vake-Sabutralo district organisation conference was held in the party headquarters
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On June 2 the New Rights Vake-Saburtalo district organisation´s conference was held in party headquarters. After addresses of the party leaders the conference elected Vake-Saburtalo district organisation´s bureau and approved the list of delegates to Tbilisi conference. |
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