Parliament endorsed Dimitri Javakhadze as a new member of Central Election Commission, who was nominated by President Giorgi Margvelashvili.

Javakhadze, who has served as deputy chairman of district election commission in Isani constituency in Tbilisi, was backed by 82 MPs.

According to the law the President has to nominate two candidates for each vacant CEC seat. Another candidate, Nino Tatrulaidze, who works for the parliament’s press office, received 22 votes.

These two candidates for this one vacant CEC seat were not President’s first choice from a shortlist of applicants selected by a commission composed of civil society representatives. President Margvelashvili had to nominate them after the Parliament rejected his two other nominations on December 11.

Meanwhile, a separate competition is already underway to fill three other vacant seats in CEC. A commission, consisting of civil society representatives, has shortlisted nine applicants from which President Margvelashvili will select two candidates for each of the three vacant seats and nominate them to the Parliament within a week.

13-seat CEC is composed of six members nominated by the President and approved by the Parliament; seven other members are representatives of political parties.