Parliament to Start Discussion of Election Code Next Week

(Tbilisi, July 18, 2003, Civil Georgia) – Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze held consultations over the election code with the representatives of the Georgian opposition parties on July 18.

The Revival Union and the Industrialists did not participate in the consultations. These two parties are against the US-suggested election guidelines, which consider composition of the election commissions with the nine representatives of the opposition parties and five representatives of the Presidential-backed election alliance.

The Revival Union and the Industrialists demand four and two seats in the commissions respectively, while the rest of the opposition parties agree to have one representative in the commissions.

Despite disagreement in the opposition, the parties decided at the consultations today to hold the discussion of the new Election Code on July 21.