The President of Georgia has vetoed the amendments adopted in the 'Election Code of Georgia', which alter the procedure for electing the Chairman and members of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

Under the current version, an independent official, the President of Georgia, announces the competition and forms a candidate selection commission. The President then presents the selected candidates to the Parliament.

The proposed changes shift the responsibilities for creating the commission, selecting candidates, and presenting them to the Chairman of the Parliament. The election process would also change to a simple majority vote in Parliament, potentially leading to one-party decisions.

Reducing the required votes for electing the Chairman and members from 100 to 76 eliminates the need for consensus-based decisions and increases the risk of polarization.

The veto is intended to preserve this consensus. The President suggests to the Parliament that the Chairman and members of the CEC should be elected with a minimum of 90 votes, mirroring the process used for selecting the Public Defender. This change is essential to maintain and reinforce trust in the electoral process and administration.