Four local election watchdog groups called on parties working on emending electoral code to provide transparency of their work.

An inter-party group, known as “editorial group”, was set up to develop amendments to electoral code based on electoral system reform deal signed by the ruling party and some opposition parties. The group, which includes those parties which have joined the deal, held its first meeting on July 8 and is scheduled to hold next meeting in two weeks.

“We address all political parties engaged in the editorial group to promote transparency of the process, engagement of non-governmental and international organizations in it and to make decisions in consideration of voters’ interests,” the four watchdog groups said in a joint statement on July 13.

These organizations – Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association; Transparency International Georgia; New Generation-New Initiative and International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy – said that transparency “will increase the quality of public trust towards this process.”

These organizations were observing talks on electoral system reform, which was ongoing from November 2010 till March 2011.