Temporary procedures for registration of parties/electoral blocs for running in the elections of the representative body of the municipality – Sakrebulo until 1 January 2021
1. In order to be eligible to participate in the elections of the representative body of the municipality - Sakrebulo, a party/an electoral bloc shall apply to the Chairperson of the CEC with an appropriate application signed by its leading person(s):
a) after calling the Sakrebulo elections, not later than the 57th day before the Election Day, if it meets one of the following conditions:
a.a) it was registered during the last parliamentary elections;
a.b) has a representative in the Parliament of Georgia for the day of calling the elections;
b) from the 1st of January to the 15th of July of the year of elections of the municipality bodies, if it fails to meet any of the conditions set forth in subparagraph (a) of this paragraph.
2. A party that fails to meet any of the conditions set forth in paragraph 1(a) of this article shall, within 60 days of receiving a sample list of party supporters, but not later than the 15th of August, submit to the CEC a list of at least 1 000 voters supporting the participation of a party in the elections of the municipality representative body – Sakrebulo, if it is a qualified electoral subject, and if it is not a qualified electoral subject, a list of at least 25 000 (the number shall not exceed 1% of the total number of voters) voters. The list of supporters shall be verified by the relevant service of the CEC in accordance with the procedure and within the time limit established by Article 38 of this Law. During the election period, the relevant service of the CEC shall verify the lists of supporters and submit a report to the Chairperson of the CEC within two days after the submission of the lists.
3. An application shall be attached with an excerpt from the register of political associations of citizens (parties) issued by the legal entity under public law called the National Agency of Public Registry operating under the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, before the application was submitted to the CEC, within the last 10 days, with indication of a person (persons) authorised to be the head/representative of a party. At the time of registration of the party, to verify/confirm the authenticity of the data in the excerpt issued by the legal entity under public law called the National Agency of Public Registry operating under the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, the Agency shall provide the CEC with the possibility of accessing the bases of electronic data and verification.
4. An application shall include the following information about a party:
a) the name and/or its abbreviated name, if such is indicated in the statute of the party. Additionally, the names and surnames, or only surnames of no more than three leaders of the party may be indicated. The name by which the political party has been registered shall remain unchanged on the ballot paper;
b) the first and last name, address (according to the place of registration), telephone number and specimen of signature of a leader(s) of the party;
c) the first, last name, address (according to the identity certificate of a citizen of Georgia or the Agency database), the telephone number and the scope of powers of a representative;
d) if there are several leaders, the scope of powers of each leader in relation to the party’s electoral process.
5. The name, its shortened form and an abbreviated name referred to in paragraph 4(a) of this article shall not coincide with:
a) the official name and its short form of another party registered by the Ministry of Justice of Georgia (in the case of coincidence, the party may not use them);
b) the name and its short form of an electoral bloc running in elections if the application of the electoral bloc has been submitted to the Chairperson of the CEC earlier (in the case of coincidence, the party may not use them);
c) the name and its short form used by another party/electoral bloc during the recent parliamentary elections, unless the consent thereto of the party/electoral bloc is obtained.
6. The respective CEC office shall check the application and documents attached thereto and shall submit its report to the CEC Chairperson not later than the day after the filing of the application.
7. The CEC Chairperson shall, not later than the day after filing of the report referred to in paragraph 6of this article:
a) register the party and its representative for election purposes if the application filed and the documents attached meet the requirements of this Law;
b) submit a written notification to a representative of the party about any non-compliance of the filed application and the attached documents with the provisions of this Law (specifying the details of non-compliance) and, if there is such non-compliance, give the party two days after receipt of notice for correction of the application and documents;
c) in the case provided for by paragraph 2 of this article, the issue of final registration of the party shall be decided only after checking the lists of supporters.
8. A corrected application and documents referred to in paragraph 7(b) of this article shall be verified and the decision about electoral registration shall be made not later than the following day after submission of the application and documents. If the corrected application and documents meet the requirements of this Law, the CEC Chairperson shall register the party and its representative for election purposes (except for the provided for by paragraph 2 of this article). Otherwise, the CEC Chairperson shall, within the same time frame, issue an ordinance refusing to provide electoral registration (the ordinance shall specify the reasons for the refusal to provide electoral registration and the applicable provisions of Law that are the basis for refusal). A representative of the party shall immediately be notified about the ordinance and it shall be provided him/her upon request. These procedures shall end not later than the 37th day before the Election Day.
9. If an application and attached documents (or a corrected application and documents), and the list of supporting voters under this article are submitted within the time frame determined in this Law and meet the requirements it sets, the CEC Chairperson shall, based on a report of the respective CEC office, register the party and its representative for election purposes not later than the following day after the receipt of the report. Otherwise, the CEC Chairperson shall issue an ordinance within the same time about the refusal to provide electoral registration (the ordinance shall specify the reasons for the refusal to provide electoral registration and the applicable provisions of this Law that are the basis for refusal). A representative of the party shall immediately be notified about the ordinance and it shall be provided to him/her upon request.
10. Parties registered by the CEC shall have the right to form an electoral bloc and leave the bloc. For the registration of the electoral bloc, not later than the 43rd day before the Election Day, the CEC Chairperson shall submit an application signed by the authorised leaders of all parties united in the bloc and the statute of the electoral bloc.
11. An application shall include the following information about a party:
a) the name and, if applied, its short form by which it runs in the elections, also a list of parties united in the bloc;
b) the first, last name, address (according to the identity certificate of a citizen of Georgia or the Agency database), of a leader(s);
c) the first, last name, address (according to the identity certificate of a citizen of Georgia or the Agency database), the telephone number and the scope of powers of a representative;
d) if there are several leaders, the scope of powers of each leader in relation to the party’s electoral process.
12. The name, its shortened form and an abbreviated name referred to in paragraph 11(a) of this article shall not coincide with:
a) the official name and its short form of a party (except for the party united in the same bloc) registered by the Ministry of Justice of Georgia (in the case of coincidence, the party may not use them);
b) the name and its short form of another electoral bloc running in elections if the application of the electoral bloc has been submitted to the Chairperson of the CEC earlier (in the case of coincidence, the party may not use them);
c) the name and its short form used by another electoral bloc during the recent parliamentary elections, unless the consent thereto of the electoral bloc is obtained.
13. The statutes of an electoral bloc, signed by the leaders of all parties united in the bloc, shall include:
a) name, and if applied, its short form of the electoral bloc under which the bloc runs in the election; b) list of the parties united in the electoral bloc;
c) governing body (if any) of the electoral bloc, leaders and their powers;
d) procedure for decision-making by the electoral bloc, including the procedures for acceptance, withdrawal or exclusion of a party from the bloc, nomination of candidates for a representative body by the bloc, and cancellation of such nomination;
e) person(s) authorised to sign electoral bloc documents;
f) procedure for using the seal of one of the electoral bloc member parties in relation to election activities;
g) procedure for appointment of the persons in charge of election campaign expense, the manager, and the accountant;h) procedure for making amendments to the electoral bloc statutes.
14. A party member of one electoral bloc may not be a member of another electoral bloc, or may not run independently in the same election.
15, The CEC shall, upon the acceptance of an application and statutes as referred to in paragraph 10 of this article, give to the representative of an electoral bloc a document evidencing the submission of the above application and statutes.
16. The respective CEC office shall verify an application and statutes submitted as referred to in paragraph 10 of this article and shall submit its report to the CEC Chairperson not later than the day after the filing of an application. The CEC Chairperson shall immediately provide electoral registration of an electoral bloc and its representative if the submitted documents meet the requirements defined in paragraphs 11-14 of this article. If the submitted documents do not meet the above requirements, the CEC Chairperson shall notify the electoral bloc representative, in writing, about non-compliance of the documents with the provisions of this Law (specifying the details of non-compliance). Corrected documents shall be re-submitted to the CEC not later than the following day after notification. The CEC Chairperson shall make a final decision on registration within two days after acceptance of the corrected documents. If the corrected documents meet the requirements of this Law, the CEC Chairperson shall register the electoral bloc and its representative. Otherwise, the CEC Chairperson shall issue an ordinance refusing registration (the ordinance shall specify the reasons for the refusal to provide electoral registration and the applicable provisions of this Law that are the basis for refusal). A representative of the electoral bloc shall immediately be notified about the ordinance and it shall be provided to him/her upon request. The registration procedure referred to in this paragraph shall end on the 37th day before Election Day.
17. A party having gone through electoral registration may join a registered electoral bloc prior to the expiration of the term for registration of electoral blocs. For these purposes, the party shall file an application with the CEC Chairperson and submit consent of the electoral bloc.
18. The CEC Chairperson shall terminate, by an ordinance, upon registration of an electoral bloc, the powers of representatives of the parties united in the bloc to all election commissions. The electoral bloc may appoint 2 representatives to each election commission.
19. If a party (parties) withdraws or is expelled from an electoral bloc before the expiration of the deadline for nomination of party lists/candidates, each of them may continue running in elections. If only one party remains in an electoral bloc for the above reason, electoral registration of the electoral bloc shall be cancelled by an ordinance of the CEC chairperson, and the parties previously united in the bloc may continue running in elections.
20. If a party withdraws or is expelled from an electoral bloc after the expiration of the deadline for nomination of party lists/candidates, the electoral registration of the party shall be cancelled by an ordinance of the CEC Chairperson. If only one party remains in the electoral bloc for the above reason, the electoral registration of the bloc shall be cancelled by an ordinance of the CEC Chairperson and the party remaining shall become the legal successor of the bloc.
21. The CEC shall publish the list of registered parties and electoral blocs on its official website in the order of submitting applications, not later than the 30th day before Election Day, as well as the list of the parties and electoral blocs that have been denied registration or the registration of which has been cancelled, specifying the reasons for the denial or cancellation.
Organic Law of Georgia No 6723 of 2 July 2020 – website, 3.7.2020
