The Venice Commission and ODIHR wish to reiterate that the election system and legal framework for carrying out elections should be based on as wide a consensus as possible amongst all the parties participating in an election and that every effort should be made, particularly at this time in Georgia, to achieve this shared confidence in the process. However, the ownership of the process can only take place by dialogue amongst all the stakeholders driven by a genuine desire to safeguard and enhance Georgian democracy. Legal opinions can facilitate this process taking place on the ground but are no substitute for it. In addition, it should be considered that the timeframe in which the proposed amendments were discussed and drafted was unnecessarily compressed, failing to provide for an adequate public consultation process.