Elections Model

Interest Group: Interest Group of Lawyers and Legal Professionals
Initiative Title: Fair and Free Elections
Contact Persons and Emails:

• Nana Amisulashvili – nana.amisulashvili@gmail.com

• Lili Begiashvili – lilybegiashvili@gmail.com
  Initiator: Lili Begiashvili
  Status: Ongoing

Challenge / Problem

Since 2021, the Georgian Dream party has systematically altered the electoral legislation with the deliberate aim of manipulating and capturing the parliamentary elections of October 26, 2024.

These efforts included not only targeted amendments to electoral laws designed to facilitate fraud, but also the use of administrative, financial, and other types of state resources and mechanisms to influence voters. Collectively, these actions violated constitutional principles of ballot secrecy, universal suffrage, freedom of choice, and equality, effectively usurping hundreds of thousands of votes and distorting the election results.

As a result, public trust in the election outcomes has completely collapsed — both among the Georgian public and opposition parties, as well as within the international community. Confidence in the official results, the electronic voting technologies used, and the integrity of future elections is extremely low. This crisis of trust poses a serious threat to the country’s democratic development, fosters cynicism among voters, and undermines the concept of elections as a peaceful and legitimate mechanism for the transfer of power.

Objective

To restore public trust in the electoral process and establish a sustainable legal and institutional framework for fair and free elections, through broad public participation — by developing a new electoral system model and reform package.

This model will ensure transparency of the electoral process, independence of the election administration, and fair competition among all participants, through the use of modern technologies and public oversight mechanisms.

Expected Results

1. Development of a new electoral model based on a critical review and revision of the existing electoral legislation; increased public awareness and effective counteraction to disinformation.

2. Formation of a new, independent, and impartial election administration whose composition and activities will earn public trust and enhance voter participation in the electoral process.

3. Improvement and reliability assurance of the electronic technologies used in the voting process.

4. Establishment of a strong and highly professional network of local observers, coordinated with qualified electoral stakeholders.
   
   

Implementation Timeline

• Phase 1: Adoption of the initiative’s concept document – March 10, 2025

• Phase 2: Discussion of interim results and organization of public debates – April 7 – May 31, 2025

• Phase 3: Review and presentation of final results – June 10, 2025