The Parliament approved the Draft Election Code with 90 votes, submitted with the I reading and in the expedited rule concerning the gender quotation.

According to one of the initiators, the First Deputy Chair of the Faction “Georgian Dream”, Givi Mikanadze, the amendment is introduced to Article 203 to regulate 2 key issues.

“The effective law provides the quotation up to 2032 but we want to extend the term to October 2032 inclusive in regards to the Elections. Pursuant to the current law as well, in case if a woman MP leaves/rejects her mandate of the Parliament or City Assembly, she shall be substituted by a women MP next in the list and a man MP shall be substituted by the man. In view of increasing gender quotation and encouragement of women in politics, we consider it expedient to substitute the leaving man MP with any member next in the list, which may be a woman”, - he noted.

Per the reporter, in 2022, the Working Group developed quite a vast package of amendments to the Election Code and further submitted it to the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR for the opinion, which was to a maximal extent shared.

As elucidated by Mr. Mikanadze, the amendments ensure harmonization of the Code with the Order of the Constitutional Court.