Home > 2.1.1 Electoral commissions > GEORGIA - Joint Opinion on the Election Code
 
 
 
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Paragraph 59
 

Article 112.3 of the Election Code has been amended to vest the DECs with the responsibility to form local election districts for the plurality contests within two days of the calling of elections, and to publish information on the districts within three days of the calling of elections. However, Article 115.2 suggests that the CEC also has some authority regarding formation of these districts. In the previous joint opinion, the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR recommended that Article 112 be reassessed due to concerns with instability in local election districts’ boundaries from one election to the other and the absence of criteria the CEC should use in order to draw the boundaries. In addition, the time period for announcement of the election district boundaries was rather short for potential candidates to, firstly, know which district they can run in, and secondly, to familiarise themselves with the electoral districts. Article 112 was amended by the 23 June 2006 amendments. Article 112 now provides that each independent self-governed unit constitutes one election district. However, this does not address the issue of the formation of boundaries for local majoritarian election districts within an independent self-governed unit that the election administration must determine under Articles 112.3 and 115.2. It is recommended that both Articles 112 and 115 be amended to address these concerns and clarify the respective responsibilities of the CEC and DECs for establishing the boundaries of majoritarian election districts and for ensuring the equality of suffrage.