TBILISI, November 17. /TASS/ The Georgian parliament has started working on a new election code that would prevent Georgian citizens residing abroad from voting in elections overseas, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said at a briefing.
According to Papuashvili, Georgian citizens living abroad would be able to participate in elections only by returning home and voting at their registered address.
"The 2024 parliamentary elections showed that voters living abroad may face considerable informational and political pressure. In this context, the risks are higher for non-resident citizens — meaning Georgian citizens living abroad who may come under political influence in a foreign environment and jurisdiction where the state is unable to prevent interference," Papuashvili said, explaining the reasoning behind the proposed restrictions.
The parliament speaker noted that similar regulations exist in Armenia, Ireland, Israel and Malta.
According to the Central Election Commission, nearly 96,000 Georgian citizens were registered abroad for the 2024 parliamentary elections.