The Venice Commission also recalls that the public acceptance of the impartiality of the election management body carrying out the elections is an important pillar in the credibility of the electoral process and the acceptance of the voting results. In contrast, election observers have reported an erosion of the impartiality of the Georgian CEC and a decline in trust in this institution, due to the governing party’s dominant position in the election administration and subsequent amendments to its composition and working methods. For example, amendments to the Election Code in 2023 transferred the authority to nominate candidates for the CEC Chairperson and the non-partisan members from the President to the Speaker of Parliament and abolished the position of a Deputy Chairperson nominated by the opposition. The Venice Commission and the ODIHR found that these amendments eroded the independence and impartiality of the CEC, making the lack of trust in the election administration a major challenge.More recently, the previously required anti-deadlock mechanism for the member of the CEC has been abolished and appointments are now possible with a simple majority if broader agreement on the candidates cannot be reached. In May 2024, amendments were tabled changing the requirement for CEC decision-making to allow for voting on issues with a single majority if support of at least two-thirds of the full membership cannot be reached. According to the most recent reports by international election observers, as well as some of the interlocutors met during the online meetings, these last amendments further eroded the collegial nature on which this body should operate and could potentially allow the governing majority to exert control over all CEC decisions.