Election Regulations of the Constituent Assembly of Georgia And Violations during the Election Process

Abstract

Establishment of the Consistuent Assembly as a supreme legislative body of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, was preceded by a thorough preparation. The Parliament of Georgia drafted and approved election regulations of the Constituent Assembly. Before the document was finalized, the subject of discussions and arguments was determination of the number of members of the constituent assembly and the age of the deputy candidate, also consensus on whether the police and administration staff would be allowed to vote etc. According to the statute, voter recruitment, bribery and other violations of which we are not insured even today were punishable.
According to expert evaluation, election law was one of the most democratic laws in the world.
The election administration was specifically tasked with preventing violations of legislation and responding promptly to violations identified both during the election campaign and directly on the election day.
Elections of the Constituent Assembly were held in a competitive environment, with the electoral subjects fully entitled to carry out the campaign, disseminate agitation, publish, and provide their electorate with unimpeded access to their political platforms.
Although the elections of the Constituent Assembly of Georgia were democratically conducted, archival and periodical press reports show that there were at least several violations revealed during the election process, namely: influence of the voters' will, use of administrative resources by the ruling political force, threats, intimidation and coercion.
Violations were reported both in Tbilisi and elsewhere in Georgia as well. Mandated committees by the City Council, Central Election Committee, and Consistuent Assembly dealt with all the reported violations promptly and responded appropriately to each of them.