Electoral Environment Must Be Improved by Promotion of International Society or by the Demand of the Population

Electoral Environment Must Be Improved by Promotion of International Society or by the Demand of the Population

The opposition is ready to conduct a dialogue with the authorities about ameliorating electoral environment. The parliamentary majority is willing to enter into negotiations, but this must be made “without delivering any ultimatums”. 

According to the experts’ assessment, the election background is awful because it is to somebody’s interest – supposedly to the authorities’ one. In their opinion, “break up” is less possible from the electoral environment advance viewpoint, though, certain effects will be still expected.

The political parties working on the improvement of the electoral environment once again confirmed the willing to carry on a dialogue with the authorities. They called the Parliamentary Chairman for working out specific suggestions regarding to the negotiation format. They mentioned about it in their statements.

As the Parliamentary Chairman, David Bakradze says he is ready to hold consultations with the political parties about the election issues. Willing of participating in this process has been expressed by the parliamentary parties too.  

“At the same time, we note once again about the necessity of engagement of international organizations in this process. We reiterate once again our readiness to launch talks with the authorities on improvement of electoral environment and offer the Parliamentary Chairman to elaborate concrete proposals on format of talks on this matter in the shortest period of time. In addition, we strongly emphasize that international organizations must be necessarily be involved the this process” - the statement reads.
 
The appeal is signed by – New Rights, National Forum, Georgian Way, Conservative Party, Republican Party, Christian-Democratic Movement, Our Georgia-Free Democrats and Party of People.  

Eight opposition parties, which on 4 October laid out their proposal on election system reform, called on the authorities for a meeting to elaborate format of talks in which negotiations on electoral reform should be held. But some days ago, Parliamentary Chairman Davit Bakradze reiterated the ruling party’s readiness for talks with the parties involved in improving electoral environment.  

The Christian-Democratic Movement is ready to join the proposal on election system reform elaborated by 8 opposition parties. MP Giorgi Targamadze- leader of parliamentary minority and of Christian-Democratic Movement (CDM), said about it. In his words too, technical issues should be settled at first, after that detailed working on election system reform will start.

Just yesterday, the ruling party reiterated once again its readiness to launch talks with the opposition on improvement of electoral environment. The majority has to settle only technical and organizational matters with the opposition for setting to improvement of electoral environment works.  

As the leader of the parliamentary majority, Peter Tsiskarishvili said to the journalists, it would have been a welcomed fact if the opposition had defied its “pre-prepared” proposals.” In his words, in such a case, starting electoral system reform is linked with technical and organizational issues which are easy to solve. As the leader of the parliamentary majority stated the electoral system reform should start from the blank page.  

In Tsiskarishvili’s opinion, the current election code should be improved and elaborated. “Every one will see that the parliamentary elections will be held in fair environment”. 

As the political scientist Ramaz Sakvarelidze says, the “paradoxical situation is created” on the issues about launching talks with the authorities on improvement of electoral environment”.

“ The electoral environment is not relevant because such environment is a benefit to someone – presumably to the authorities in order to remain in the power. If it wished to change anything in this aspect, some changes would be made by its own initiative. Hence, the relevant suggestion from the opposition’s side creates a little paradoxical situation to the authorities”.  

“I don’t think only this inititaive was sufficient for such type of changes. I reckon that improvement of electoral environment must be fulfilled either by means of more active involvement of international society or on the grounds of population’s demand” – responded Sakvarelidze to GHN about the information spread by the opposition parties, who recorded once again their readiness to launch talks with the authorities on improvement of electoral environment.  

In the above mentioned context, the political scientist also interprets that only due to the opposition’s initiative, the authority is not going to change the decisions so easily, with which it created its own electoral environment.

According to the political scientist, Soso Tsintsadze, the opposition forces used “tactical move” regarding the proposal of launching talks with the authorities on improvement of electoral environment.
  
“This is a tactical move from their side. If the talks are not launched or do not finish successfully, increase of so called radical opposition’ rating will be a result of it. It must be also noted that the attitude of political minority has changed toward the dialogue of the authorities. They are now ready to sit with them at the discussion table and this is conditioned to some extent by the fact that almost all principal opposition forces have already been presented in Tbilisi City Assembly.  

They experienced the discussions in the Tbilisi City Assembly. In addition, their position has become more accessible to the society now. They are often seen in TV, and in the end we see that sessions of Tbilisi City Assembly have become more attractive and interesting than the parliamentary ones” - said Soso Tsintsadze to GHN.  
 
The political scientist also adds that resulting from PR technology alphabet, positive end of talks on improvement of electoral environment is in the authorities’ interests too.  

“By making such a step the power will prove both the political minority and all the society that the dialogue is always better that the confrontation” – explained the political scientist.  

As for the assumed result if the talks are launched about the mentioned issue, “break up” is less possible from the electoral environment advance viewpoint, though, he thinks that “certain effects will surely been seen”.
 
“I am dead certain that there will be some effects, though, I am afraid there will be a “break up” or things will be changed in a way nothing must not be improved at all” – explains the political scientist.