Liberal-Democratic MPs registered a legislative initiative to amend and supplement the Electoral Code with the Parliament’s Standing Bureau. The bill refers to the method of choosing the members of the Central Election Commission (CEC), IPN reports.

According to a press release of the Liberal Democratic Party, the bill provides that the new members of the CEC will be selected at a transparent public contest by a committee consisting of politically unaffiliated experts proposed by the parliamentary opposition and civil society. Thus, the composition of the CEC will be independent, competent and upright. The nominal composition and the regulations governing the selection committee will be approved by a Parliament decision.

“The legislative initiative does not aim to limit the right to vote of the MPs. On the contrary, it stipulates transparent and fair procedures for choosing the most competent and upright persons who will carry out the duties of the central electoral authority in an independent and lawful way,” it is said in the informative note to the bill.

The committee will consist of seven persons who will organize the public contest and will submit the list of selected candidates, based on the obtained results, to Parliament within 30 days.

Given that the term in office of the current CEC members expires on February 11, while Parliament hasn’t yet initiated the procedure for designating the new members, the Liberal-Democratic MPs consider it is reasonable to examine and adopt this initiative as a matter of urgency.