“The registration and cancellation of political parties are not within the jurisdiction of the election administration,” stated Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

Kalandarishvili emphasised that the CEC will register all parties that comply with the legal requirements and create an environment that ensures equal opportunities for all political alliances.

According to the CEC Chair, if a party is to be banned, the decision lies with the Constitutional Court, not the Central Election Commission.

“In the October 4 elections, twelve political alliances and candidates nominated by initiative groups in the relevant single-mandate districts participated, which indicates that the elections were competitive.

Regarding the banning of parties, the election administration is neither the initiator nor the decision-maker. Therefore, questions concerning the CEC’s role in this matter are irrelevant. Neither the registration nor the cancellation of parties falls within the competence of the election administration. Such decisions are to be made by the Constitutional Court. The Parliament initiates this process. Consequently, who may or may not be banned, and any pre-emptive assessments of such actions, are inherently political issues and speculative by nature.

We will register all parties that meet the legal requirements and ensure a level playing field, an environment that guarantees fairness for all political entities. This was fully upheld during the October 4 and October 26 elections last year, and will continue to be the case in the future.

As for banning parties, this is beyond the scope of the election administration’s responsibilities. If a party is to be banned, the decision lies with the Constitutional Court, not the Central Election Commission,” said Giorgi Kalandarishvili.