Vice Speaker Chugoshvili, six others leave ruling party after scrapping of election bill

Seven MPs have left the Georgian Dream ruling party, including Vice Speaker Tamar Chugoshvili. Photo: parliament of Georgia press office. Photo: parliament of Georgia press office.

Agenda.ge, 14 Nov 2019 - 14:14, Tbilisi,Georgia

Vice Parliament Speaker of Georgia Tamar Chugoshvili, MPs Irina Pruidze, Giorgi Mosidze, Dimitri Tskitishvili, Tamar Khulordava, Sophio Katsarava and Zaza Khutsishvili have left the Georgian Dream ruling party after the party proposed election bill was scrapped earlier today.

It was very hard to make the decision. I would not have taken the responsibility for the decision. I think that my step is right. The ruling party had known about my position regarding the issue,” said Chugoshvili, who also served as an international secretary of the Georgian Dream and was a member of the political council of the ruling party.

The bill which offered the conduct of 2020 parliamentary elections with a fully proportional voting system and a zero threshold has been voted for by 101 MPs instead of mandatory 113 earlier today.

Three MPs of the ruling party voted against the bill and 37 others abstained from voting.

The opposition which supported the bill has vowed the “largest ever street rallies.”

The ruling party accepted the conduct of 2020 parliamentary elections on a fully proportional system amid the June public protests, also offering a zero election threshold.

 The people protesting in June have also announced rallies as the ruling party “refused to keep its promise.”