By empty (7/15/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)
In comments in his weekly radio address on 14 July, President Eduard Shevardnadze affirmed his support for a set of U.S.-drafted electoral proposals.
In comments in his weekly radio address on 14 July, President Eduard Shevardnadze affirmed his support for a set of U.S.-drafted electoral proposals. The president welcomed the 10-point U.S. proposals, more commonly known as the \"Baker Scorecard,\" after former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker presented the proposals in Tbilisi earlier this month. Shevardnadze dismissed reports that Baker urged him to resign, noting that he will complete his term as president through 2005. Of the 10 points in the Baker proposals, the most significant measures include a call for the government to reconstitute the Central Election Commission (CEC) by nominating five members and allowing the opposition to appoint nine, and a recommendation that the OSCE select a respected, nonpolitical member of Georgian society as CEC chairman. The engagement of the United States in the Georgian electoral process reflects concern over mounting political instability in the face of the November parliamentary election. (RFE/RL)