Interviews with candidates for CEC membership and chairmanship have been completed. The selection of 2 candidates for the CEC presidency and 5 candidates to be CEC members was completed.
According to the decision of the Commission, Giorgi Calandarishvili, Giorgi Santuriani, Ana Mikeladze Lela Taliuri Maia Zaridze and Tamara Sartania were selected as members and candidates for the presidency.
Giorgi Kldiashvili, IDFI Executive Director, said in an Interview with the Public Broadcaster he only supported the two candidates for CEC and did not support the two for the chairman’s post. Kldiashvili said that the public was given the chance to follow the interviewing process.
“Neither I, nor any of my co-workers, supported the candidates for presidency. I had the impression that everyone, except for Marina Chitishvili was in agreement on the position of those presidential candidates. This is wrong. We have all substantiated the positions we hold.
My basic criteria for not supporting it were that the candidate must be impartial, independent, and have a strong sense of principle. I didn’t see it in these two candidates, and so I voted according to my high standard. But the other members, based on my opinion, rated it with a low standard.
Nika Simonishvili is the chairman of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association. He told the public broadcaster the commission nominated two candidates to the presidency who, in his opinion, would not be credible in the community. He added that such a choice should not have been taken.
“I don’t doubt the professionalism of these individuals, but I believe they do not meet their most important criterion which is high credibility in the public eye and not all political parties can trust them. “I think there are some questions about this decision,” Simonishvili stated.
He believes the Commission either used very low standards or pre-agreed actions in its decision making. He did note that he had no questions about Marina Chitishvili. Nika Simonishvili has stated that he voted 3 times for the candidates of the commission.
The President of Georgia should make the decision about the proposed candidates. If the President accepts the decision of the Commission she will nominate to the Parliament two candidates for every vacant position. The approval of a CEC member or chairperson for five years by the legislature must receive 2/3 of votes.
Source of Information: http://1tv.ge
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