snap elections to be held in Senaki municipality

The non-governmental organization International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) said on August 29 that the mid-term elections scheduled in one of the Senaki municipality’s majoritarian districts should be canceled and snap elections should be held in the entire municipality instead.

According to the Fair Elections, after the recognition of the powers of the Sakrebulo on December 17, 2021, a number of problems were identified. In particular, after the departure of the deputy elected on the proportional list of the party of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia “For Georgia” from the Sakrebulo, the Sakrebulo, consisting of 33 deputies, left the ruling party and the opposition with an equal number of mandates, 16 mandates for each side.

“If the powers of the successor of the deputy who left the sakrebulo were confirmed, the majority would still be on the side of the opposition, so the Georgian Dream declared an actual boycott and refused to participate in the meetings … As a result, a crisis arose and the sakrebulo was paralyzed,” the organization’s statement says, which also It is emphasized that since December 17, due to the lack of a quorum, the meetings of the sakrebulo have been canceled a total of 10 times.

According to Fair Elections, with the May amendments to the Electoral Code, the decision of the sakrebulo is no longer required to confirm the authority of the successor of the resigned sakrebulo member. “Thus, the opposition has one more chance to collect a majority with 17 mandates,” the NGO says.

“However, at the end of May, the majoritarian deputy from the United National Movement left the sakrebulo, which the party links with pressure, and the opposition still has 16 mandates,” the statement says.

Noting that on August 18 the court declared illegal the decisions of Sakrebulo Senaki of February 19 and 23, Fair Elections explains with reference to the Electoral Code (142) that the failure to hold meetings of the Sakrebulo for 6 months is the legal basis for the early termination of its powers and the introduction of direct government controlled.

“Fair Elections” believe that since December 17 is the date of the last valid meeting of Sakrebulo Senaki, the 6-month period for gathering and holding at least one meeting expired on June 17.

On the basis of the Electoral Code (1541), the organization declares that snap elections should be held in Senaki municipality in April 2023.

Thus, Fair Elections calls for:

the government of Georgia should, as soon as possible, issue a decree on the early termination of the powers of the sakrebulo and make a decision on the introduction of direct state administration;
the President of Georgia, together with the Prime Minister, to discuss and call early elections for the Sakrebulo of the Senaki municipality;
Central Electoral Commission to cancel the mid-term elections scheduled in the municipality.