Recommendations on the Work of the Central Election Commission from Georgian Non-governmental Organizations

The Central Election Commission (CEC) plays a crucial role in ensuring that the elections are conducted fairly and in building public confidence in them.  Therefore, the undersigned organizations recommend following:

(1) All members of the election administration should have equal status and equal access to information and decision-making;
(2) Political party appointees to the election administration should demonstrate their ability to be guided by the law and put public interests ahead of party interests;
(3) Non-partisan appointees of the CEC need to be seen to act impartially;
(4) The CEC should not be used as a platform for party political statements that detract from the work of the election administration;
(5) All members of the CEC should participate in the work of the CEC constructively and compromise as necessary.

The undersigned organizations believe that if these points are followed throughout the election process, then the tabulation and announcement of the results of the elections should not be caught up in unnecessary controversy. 

20 December, 2007

Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA)
International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED)
Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia)
New Generation New Initiative (nGnI)