Former Central Election Commission chair appointed head of International Foundation of Electoral Systems in Uzbekistan
International Foundation of Electoral Systems (IFES) is an international, non-profit organisation founded in 1978. Based in Arlington, IFES works to advance good governance and democratic rights by empowering technical assistance to election officials and applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle. Photo: IPN.
Tweet 
Share
Former chair of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia Tamar Zhvania has been appointed the new head of the International Foundation of Electoral Systems (IFES) in Uzbekistan.
IFES is an international, non-profit organisation founded in 1978. Based in Arlington, IFES works to advance good governance and democratic rights by empowering technical assistance to election officials and applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle.
Zhvania was the chair of the Central Election Commission for almost eight years, from 2013 to 2021. Under her leadership, the Georgian CEC oversaw the administration of six national elections, including parliamentary, presidential and municipal elections.
Zhvania resigned on June 30, 2021.
- Georgian Central Election Commission head resigns
- Head of Georgia’s Central Election Commission receives top international election award
In her statement Zhvania noted that she had more than two years to stay in the role, however she thought that the ‘EU-mediated agreement offers a new reality in the country and the head of CEC should be elected according to new regulations’.
She said her resignation ‘is likely to boost the opportunity of the construction of a relationship between political forces that will benefit the election administration and the whole country’.
The Georgian opposition parties accused Zhvania of fabricating the 2020 parliamentary elections along with the ruling Georgian Dream party
Before her career in public service, Zhvania was a project manager at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Zhvania also served as the executive director of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) in 2000-2006.
The head of Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) Tamar Zhvania has resigned earlier today ‘to help the smooth implementation’ of the April 19 EU-mediated agreement. Zhvania, who has held the post for almost eight years, has stated in her Facebook post that the new head of the CEC should be elected according to recently adopted amendments in the country's Election Code ‘which are in line with the EU-mediated agreement.’
Tamar Zhvania, who has chaired the Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) since 2013, has become the first in the history of independent Georgia who was re-elected to the post.
Current Head of the Central Election Commission of Georgia (CEC) Tamar Zhvania may be re-elected to the position, as she was among the four candidates proposed to the Georgian President by NGOs.
The Georgian parliament has elected Giorgi Kalandarishvili as the new head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) in a fourth vote, following the resignation of the body’s former chair Tamar Zhvania in late June. Two other individuals, Gia Tsatsashvili and Maia Zaridze, were elected members of the commission.
The Georgian parliament has re-elected Giorgi Kalandarishvili the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) earlier today. Elected in a second vote, Kalandarishvili will serve as the CEC head for a six-months term.