The Central Election Commission has launched the training of trainers (ToT) for the electoral Development School 2015.  From June 30 through July 3, 2015 36 trainers will be trained in Gudauri; the trained instructors will later conduct a training course Electoral Development School 2015. 

Prior to the commencement of the training participants were welcomed by Tamar Zhvania, CEC Chair, Giorgi Sharabidze, Deputy Chair, CEC, Natia Zaalishvili, CEC Training Center Director, Nermin Nisic, Chief of Party, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and Irma Pavliashvili, a lawyer from Georgia Young Lawyers’ Association.

At electoral development schools that will be opened in 10 cities throughout the country, youth between 17 and 25 years will study electoral issues (training will be held during July 13-24); the training will contribute to increased civic participation as well as will promote elections among youth. Electoral Development School 2015 is also designed to expand and cover the entire Georgia, which will enable the representatives of the Election Administration to share their own professional experience with more youth.

The trainers who are being trained are members of the district election commissions. And the representatives of the Center of Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Trainings conduct the training.  After taking the training, at the electoral development schools the trainers will teach such important issues as electoral systems, election administration, principles of democratic elections, elective bodies in Georgia, parties involved in the elections, transparency of and access to elections, gender equality, etc.

Pilot project of the electoral development schools is implemented by the CEC and the Training Center in cooperation with GYLA and International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), through the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) financial support.