Georgian citizens will no longer be able to vote in parliamentary elections from abroad

The Georgian Parliament approved in the third reading a draft new version of the Electoral Code, according to which polling stations abroad will no longer be opened. This was reported by the media Georgia Online.

One of the main innovations of the electoral legislation proposed by the deputies of the ruling Georgian Dream is that during the parliamentary elections, polling stations abroad will no longer be open for Georgian citizens living outside the country.

Like the municipal elections, the parliamentary elections will be held only on the territory of Georgia.

According to the same draft law, any party is obliged to nominate candidates for both parliamentary and municipal elections only from among the members of its political force. Only initiative groups will be able to nominate non-party candidates.

In addition, the rules for taking photos and videos at polling stations are being clarified, and issues related to being escorted out of the building on election day are also being changed.

At the same time, the procedure for registering candidates is being simplified. In particular, there is no longer a need to present ID cards, the media reports.

• On November 6, it was reported that criminal prosecution launched in Georgia of eight opposition members under articles on sabotage and calls for the overthrow of the government.
• December 17 in the Georgian Dream told about their plans prohibit citizens of the country living outside its borders from participating in elections from abroad.