**New Members Elected to Georgia’s Central Election Commission**
The Georgian Dream Parliament has re-elected four members to the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC). The new members are Giorgi Dzagania, Dimitri Javakhadze, and Giorgi Chikaberidze, who each received 83 votes. Giorgi Javakhishvili received 84 votes.
According to a press release from the GD Parliament, these elections mean that “the CEC is now fully staffed with professional members”.
**Who Are These New Members?**
Giorgi Dzagania has been involved in election administration since 2008. He was previously Head of the Department for Relations with Courts and Electoral Disputes, and has also worked as an international observer in elections.
Dimitri Javakhadze has a Ph.D. in Business Administration and has served on the CEC since December 2014. He has experience in education and lecturing, as well as serving as Deputy Chairman of the Isani District Election Commission.
Giorgi Chikaberidze was previously Chairman of the Kutaisi branch of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association and a local observer for the organization in various elections.
Giorgi Javakhishvili has been Secretary of the CEC since February 2015. He previously worked as Deputy Minister of Finance and General Director of the Service Agency of the Ministry of Finance.
**Background**
In November 2024, an investigation was called into officials within the Central Election Commission for their alleged involvement in a large-scale vote-rigging scheme. The new members were elected after controversial amendments to the country’s electoral code changed the staffing rules of the CEC.
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