20. The State Election Commission (SEC) has been composed of a president appointed by the President of the Republic; four judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by Parliament upon nomination of the governing and opposition groups in Parliament; and four other members nominated directly by the same political parties. Observers reacted negatively to over-reliance on judges in electoral administration, and particularly the system of selecting judges for this purpose, since it raised serious issues concerning the independence and neutrality of the judiciary.
