Opposition after scrapping of election bill: Georgia faces severe political crisis
The leader of the European Georgia opposition parry David Bakradze says that “nothing is excluded, our response will be very clear and firm.” Photo: 1TV.
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The leader of the European Georgia parliamentary opposition party David Bakradze says that the country is facing a “severe political crisis,” and the “creator of the crisis, the Georgian Dream ruling party will pay for it.”
The statement comes after the scrapping of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party proposed bill on the move to the fully proportional election system from 2020 [instead of 2024] with a zero election threshold.
The response of the opposition will be very firm and clear. Nothing is excluded, including the boycott of 2020 parliamentary elections,” Bakradze said.
Former Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze says that the opposition “lacks public support,” and advised them “not to threaten too much.”
Demonstrators have blocked Rustaveli Avenue after scrapping the election bill. Photo: IPN.
Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has stated that the 2020 elections will be conducted with a mixed-electoral system, three per cent election threshold and election blocs will be allowed to participate in.
Head of the Georgian Dream ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili has done his utmost to assure the ruling party MPs to vote for the bill. Unfortunately, the bill was scrapped,” Talakvadze said.
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 are now in front of Georgian parliament building, in central Tbilisi, announcing large-scale demonstrations and accusing the Georgian Dream leadership of cheating them.
They have tried to block the entrance of the legislative body which has caused tension.
Passing the bill needed at least 113 votes in the 150-member parliament.
Three MPs of the ruling party voted against and 37 others abstained from voting the bill which was drafted by 93 MPs of the ruling party.
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. 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.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell says that if Georgian political parties fail to retain consensus on the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed election bill this may “shake trust” between political parties.
Voting on a bill proposed by the Georgian Dream (GD) ruling party to change the electoral system to a fully proportional one starting from 2020 instead of 2024 has been postponed as the GD requested this. The vote will take place tomorrow as the ruling party needs another meeting “to assure” several of its MPs to vote for the bill.
The Georgian Dream (GD) ruling party says that most of its MPs will vote for the party-proposed bill to transfer to a fully proportional elections in 2020 parliamentary race amid fears of the opposition that the bill may be scrapped. After today’s meeting of the ruling party, chaired by the head and the founder of the Georgian Dream Bidzina Ivanishvili, GD MPs said that Ivanishvili and the “majority” of the party support the bill.
Demonstrators who participated in the June rallies and the opposition have blocked Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi and announced the “largest rallies ever” after a ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party proposed election bill was scrapped earlier today as many GD MPs refused to vote for it. Members of European Georgia and the United National Movement opposition parties are rallying with them.
The founder and head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Bidzina Ivanishvili says that he has been supportive of a transition to a fully proportional election system from 2020 and is “very sorry” the GD-proposed bill was rejected earlier today.
Mariam Jashi, head of the Parliament’s Education, Culture and Science Committee, is the eighth MP to leave the Georgian Dream (GD) ruling party after today’s rejection of the GD-proposed election bill.
The US Embassy to Georgia has stated that they are disappointed that the Georgian Dream ruling party proposed bill on the move to a fully proportional electoral system from 2020 has been rejected earlier today.
The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Georgia have expressed their “deep regret” that the Georgian Dream ruling party proposed bill, which aimed to introduce a fully proportional election system starting in 2020, was rejected earlier today.