Political Parties

A political Union of citizens (political party) is a voluntary and independent association founded on citizens’ common vision and organizational basis, registered in accordance with the procedures of Organic Law of Georgia on “Political Union of Citizens” and operates within the scope of the Constitution and legislation of Georgia;

A political party for the purposes of election code, is a political union of citizens acting in accordance with “Organic Law of Georgia of Political Union of Citizens”, which is registered by the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission to participate in elections;

Electoral registration - registration by the chairperson of an appropriate election commission of parties, initiative groups of voters, party lists, and individual candidates for Mayor and Sakrebulo nominated under the majoritarian procedure in order to obtain the right to run in elections;

Electoral subject – a party, electoral bloc, or an initiative group of voters, or a candidate for member of public authority representative body, or a candidate for public office registered by the chairperson of a respective election commission;

Candidate for electoral subject – a person nominated for registration in the respective election commission to run in elections;

Candidate for President of Georgia – a citizen of Georgia registered by the CEC, and nominated by not less than 30 members of the Election Panel for participation in Presidential elections of Georgia (from age of 40 who has lived in Georgia at least 15 years);

Candidate for Mayor - is a citizen of Georgia, registered by the Chairperson of the respective election commission to run for Mayor; (from age of 25 who has lived in Georgia at least 5 years);

Candidate nominated under a party list – a citizen of Georgia entered in a party list registered by the chairperson of the respective election commission to run in elections of the Parliament of Georgia or for a municipality representative body Sakrebulo (in case parliament – from age of 25 who has lived in Georgia at least 10 years; in case municipality representative body Sakrebulo – from age of 21 who has lived in Georgia at least 5 years);

Majoritarian candidate – a citizen of Georgia nominated in an electoral district by a party/initiative group of voters registered by the chairperson of an appropriate election commission to participate in elections of a municipality representative body Sakrebulo; (from age of 21 who has lived in Georgia at least 5 years);

Representative of Election Subject and His/Her Authority

A representative of an election subject (a party participating in the elections, initiative group of voters) represents an election subject in relations with the appropriate election commission, within which he/she is registered according to the Election Code.

A party participating in the elections in one or several types of elections, shall be entitled to appoint only two representatives at every election commission. During Local Self-Government elections of Georgia, an initiative group of voters shall be entitled to appoint two representatives in relevant district and precinct election commissions. Representatives appointed in the CEC and DEC shall not be simultaneously appointed in the other election commissions.

• A representative of an election subject may be capable citizen of Georgia from the age of 18.
• The person cannot be appointed as a representative of election subject if:
• A candidate nominated by the same or another election subject;
• A representative of another election subject;
• Member of the election commission;
• Local observer;
• Representative of the press or other media.

An election subject/subjects shall notify the CEC Chairperson on the appointment of a representative at the CEC. In case of submission of complete information, CEC Chairperson shall, within 24 hours, by its ordinance, register the representative and issue representative certificate, which at the same time functions as a badge to be worn by the representative.

An election subject shall apply to the CEC Secretary on the appointment of a representative at the District Election Commission and shall apply to the relevant upper election commission Secretary to appoint the representative at the Precinct Election Commission. In case of submission of the complete information, the Secretary of the relevant election commission within 24 hours, by its ordinance, registers the representative of election subject and issues the certificate, which at the same time is a badge.

Statement on appointment of the representatives of initiative group of voters at the District and Precinct Election Commissions shall be submitted to those DEC Secretary, who’s Chairperson registered the initiative group of voters.

The application for the appointment of a representative of an election subject shall be signed by the party leader or a person authorized by him / her, a representative of the initiative group of voters in the higher election commission. The mentioned application shall indicate the surname, first name, address, telephone number of the election subject (if any). The application shall be accompanied by a photocopy of the ID card of the citizen of Georgia or the passport of the citizen of Georgia.

Only one representative of the election subject shall have the right to attend the sessions of the respective election commission, a request to speak and express his/her opinion, make a decision on various issues, as well as enjoy other rights envisaged by this Law.  The representative shall enjoy the rights provided for in the first paragraph of Article 41 of this Law and the second paragraph of Article 67 of this Law without any restrictions on the polling day.

The election subject shall have the right to appoint, withdraw and/or replace its representative at any time, except the day before the E-day and the E-day, on which the appropriate election commission shall be informed.

Registration / Cancellation of Parties Running in the Parliamentary Elections

(Election Code of Georgia, Article 113)

In order to be eligible to participate in the parliamentary elections of Georgia, a party must apply to the CEC Chairperson with an appropriate statement signed by its head (heads):

• After the Parliamentary Elections are called, but no later than on the 57^thday before the Election Day, if, by the day of calling elections, the party has a member of parliament elected by its nomination. 
• From January 1 until July 15 of the parliamentary election year, if it does not meet the above mentioned conditions.

Along with the application, an extract/note from the registry of political unions of citizens (parties) issued by the LEPL National Agency of Public Registry operating under the governance of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia should be attached. The document should be issued during the past 10 days before submitting it at the CEC and should indicate the head/ authorized representatives of the party. Also a document proving the party has a representative in the Parliament of Georgia (in case the party has such representatives) should be submitted. At the time of registering the party, the LEPL National Agency of Public Registry operating under the governance of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia should ensure the access of the CEC to the electronic database in order to ensure the CEC have possibility to verify the authenticity of the document issued by the agency.

The application shall include the following information about the party:

• name of the party and, if applicable, its short version and/or abbreviated name under which the party participates in elections; Additionally, the name and surname of no more than 3 leaders of the party may be indicated or only the surname. The registration name will be unchanged on the ballot paper;
• last name, first name, address (according to the place of registration), telephone number and the sample of signature of the party leader(s);
• last name, first name, address (according to the place of registration), telephone number of the party representative;
• if there are several leaders - the limits of authority of each leader in relation to the electoral process.
  
  

The title and/or short title, of the party, shall not coincide with:  the official title, short title or abbreviated title, of another party registered by the Ministry of Justice of Georgia (if the titles coincide, the party shall not be permitted to use this name);

Elections of local Self-government Representative Bodies

Registration of Political Parties

In order to become eligible to run for the elections of the Local Self-government Representative Body - Sakrebulo, a party/election bloc shall apply to the CEC Chairperson through a written application signed by its head(s):

1. a) after calling of Sakrebulo elections, no later than on the 57th day before the Election Day, if it meets one of the following requirements:

a.a.) was registered during the last Parliamentary elections;

a.b.)  by the day of calling of elections, the party has a representative in the Parliament of Georgia;

1. b) from January 1 until July 15 of the election year of the municipal bodies, if the party/election bloc does not meet any of the above-mentioned requirements;

A party that fails to meet any of the conditions set forth in Article 142 (1) (a) of the Election Code, within 60 days of the acceptance of the sample form of the list of supporters, but no later than August 1, shall submit to the CEC a list of at least 25 000 voters in favor of the party’s participation in the elections of municipal representative body –Sakrebulo. During the election period, the appropriate CEC department, within 2 days after the submission, shall verify the list of supporters and shall present its conclusion to the CEC Chairperson.

Article. 141. The right to participate in Sakrebulo elections and nomination of majoritarian candidates

A party, and a majoritarian candidate nominated by a party or by a five-person initiative group of voters, who is registered with an appropriate election commission, shall have the right to participate in Sakrebulo elections.

For nomination of a majoritarian candidate of a municipality representative body Sakrebulo, a party may, not later than the 30th day before elections, submit an application to an appropriate election commission.

For nomination of a majoritarian candidate for elections of a municipality representative body Sakrebulo, an initiative group of voters shall, not later than the 47th day before voting, submit an application to an appropriate DEC. It then shall have the right to collect the signatures of supporting voters.

The minimum number of signatures of supporting voters shall be defined by a CEC ordinance.

No later than the next day after the submission of the application, the chairperson of the district election commission shall register the initiative group of voters.