NGOs have nominated a candidate for the position of the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission

On August 23, 2013 NGOs working on electoral issues nominated Ms. Tamar Zhvania for the position of the chairperson of the Central Election Commission.

Ms. Tamar Zhvania is the manager of the UNDP project: Promoting Credible and Sustainable Electoral Institutions and Processes.

Ms. Zhvania has an extensive working experience on election-related responsible positions. For the past five years she has been in charge of UNDP Georgia’s electoral assistance program and supervised EU-UNDP joint project. She has worked on electoral issues abroad, including as international program manager in National Democratic Institute (NDI). Moreover, Ms. Zhvania has been a representative of international observation in different countries as part of the missions of OSCE/ODIHR, NDI and Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. Her electoral engagement starts from 2000 in the civil sector. In the period of 2004- 2007 she was an executive director of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED).

Tamar is an accredited facilitator of the BRIDGE program (Building Resources in Democracy Governance and Elections), and has participated in different international trainings, projects and researches.

Experience of working on electoral issues in international and local organizations, knowledge of electoral administration specifics, nonpartisan background, and personal traits including impartiality and determination, were the main criteria the NGOs have considered during the selection.

Undersigned organizations acknowledge the responsibility associated with nomination of the candidate for the position of CEC chairperson. As the organizations will actively continue monitoring of the election administration and will not refrain from criticism if needed, we think the proposed candidate has an ability to be open to critical responses and will show readiness for cooperation with both political parties and civil society organizations in complicated situations.

We believe Ms. Tamar Zhvania meets the necessary criteria for the candidate of CEC Chairperson. We also hope that, alike the President of Georgia, the ruling coalition will also support the nominated candidate in the selection process.

Undersigned organizations:

International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED)

Transparency International Georgia

Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA)

Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC)

Open Society Georgia Foundation

Article 42 of the Constitution

Public Movement Multinational Georgia

Coalition for Civil Development

Center for Development and Democracy (CDD)

Georgian Democracy Initiative

Election Environment Development Center

Civil Education Multiethnic Resource-Center

Trade Union of Vocational Education

Civil Culture International Center