Over the span of six weeks, four local Georgian organizations held public debates on electoral reform issues in 20 locations in 16 municipalities throughout the country, engaging nearly 1,400 citizens in a conversation about possible revisions to the country’s election code. The debates, which were sponsored by IFES, revealed common concerns across Georgia on the voter list, electoral administration, use of administrative resources and electoral systems.

The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, in partnership with the Georgian Young Lawyers Association, Transparency International-Georgia and new Generation new Initiative, is proud to present recommendations from the country’s citizens on electoral code reform. With the government still in the early stages of drafting revisions to the code, this timely citizen input can help ensure an inclusive and transparent reform process. A few of the key recommendations offered by citizens are:

• Develop accurate voter lists by extending the time allotted to verify the lists, remove incorrect information and create a unified voter database
• Allow for direct election of officials at all levels of government and implement a proportional representation system, ensuring an equal voice for residents of all districts
• Draw a strict line between the activities of the political party and public officials to prevent abuse of public resources
• Ensure that language barriers, particularly in ethnic minority regions, do not hinder citizens’ participation in the electoral process
• Extend the time allowed for submitting and discussing electoral complaints and simplify the existing complaints and appeals processes
• Guarantee transparent and fair selection of election officials based on merits and qualification

For a joint statement from the four partner NGOs about the debates and the recommendations, click here. A discussion of the recommendations will also air this weekend on Maestro TV and 18 regional television stations.

In May, the four NGOs developed a full list of electoral code proposals, based on their individual and collective experience, which provided the foundation for the citizen discussions. These recommendations are available online here.