Georgian nationals living abroad will no longer be able to vote in the Parliamentary Elections set to take place in 2028, according to new amendments to the Electoral Code. Under the amendments, Georgians will be able to vote for the Parliamentary election “only within the state borders of Georgia” and there will no longer be polling stations abroad. The relevant changes have been announced by the Speaker of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili who stated that Georgian citizens abroad risk falling under the influence of a hostile power and “making the wrong choice” during the elections.
“In the case of non-resident citizens, the possibilities of information manipulation are high. In an era of disinformation and false reports, information can be radically opposite. This circumstance increases the risk that a physically removed citizen will make an uninformed choice,” Papuashvili stated. In his words, voting within the border of Georgia will enhance resistance to “external forces”. The official stressed that many countries do not open polling stations in foreign countries.
The ruling Georgia Dream party is preparing new amendments to the Electoral Code.
The new voting rule seems to stem from the ruling party’s fear of Moldova scenario whereby Moldovan diaspora living abroad played a pivotal role in September’s parliamentary election that saw pro-Western Maia Sandu’s government win majority of votes.
