The Central Election Commission (CEC) Spokesperson Ana Mikeladze, who served the post since May 2015, announced her resignation on December 1, citing “a personal decision.”
The allegations about CEC spokesperson’s resignation have been rumored in Georgian media for several weeks, as Mikeladze had not led CEC press briefings since November 2, soon after the October 31 parliamentary elections.
Calling the move a “difficult, but important decision,” Mikeladze said “each of our steps should be consistent with our values.” “I have always been guided by the principles of professionalism, justice and fairness,” she underscored.
The resignation comes as hotly contested parliamentary polls induced protests by the opposition, that accuse the CEC, among others, for rigging the results. The opposition parties are rejecting the outcome and refuse to enter the new parliament, unless the Georgian Dream led government yields to their demands, including the resignation of the CEC Chair Tamar Zhvania, scheduling snap elections as well as the release of alleged political prisoners.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)