Moreover, the fact that the draft amendments maintain the nomination authority of the Speaker of Parliament – which had been transferred from the President of Georgia by way of the June 2023 amendments amidst criticism by some civil society actors who viewed it as a politicisation of the selection process – misses an opportunity to further bolster public confidence in the CEC. This is because the presidential post in the Republic of Georgia is perceived as a non-partisan one, holding comparatively high public confidence; the President is prohibited from holding a position in a political party and serves as “the guarantor of the country’s unity and national independence”. In this connection, it is also noted that following constitutional reforms of 2017 the mechanism for electing the President will be changing in 2024: the President will no longer be elected by popular vote but indirectly, by an Electoral College. In turn, notwithstanding the institutional role of the office of the Speaker of Parliament, the Speaker is still elected by absolute majority of MPs and thus typically by the majority party or political grouping.