The draft law On Amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Georgia was discussed at the first reading during the plenary session.

According to the draft, the mandatory participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the public decision-making process, as outlined by the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Georgia, will be abolished.

The draft was presented by David Matikashvili, Chairman of the Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules.

Matikashvili explained that the majority of NGOs were funded by foreign countries and were acting in alignment with the interests of these foreign entities, rather than those of Georgia.

The draft law stipulates that while public and non-governmental organizations will still be allowed to participate in discussions on matters of interest to them, their involvement in decision-making will no longer be mandatory.

Additionally, the draft law introduces a new procedure for electing a member of the Central Election Commission (CEC). The amendment stipulates that a candidate for CEC membership is considered elected if they receive the support of three-fifths of Parliament’s full membership during a vote.

The amendments were supported by 84 MPs.