Ruling party: 'we've made two electoral system offers to opposition'
The ruling party Secretary General Kakha Kaladze says that it is very likely the ruling party and the opposition will agree on how to hold the 2020 elections. Photo: Tbilisi City Hall press office.
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The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) Secretary General and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze says that GD has made two offers to the opposition on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Kaladze says that the offers pertain to the distribution of seats in the 150-member parliament.
There have been two options offered by us. The 100/50 and 110/40 electoral systems [in which 100 or 110 seats are distributed per the votes received in proportional elections and remaining 50 or 40 seats per the majoritarian elections],” Kaladze said.
He stated that there is disagreement within the opposition which makes it difficult to reach an agreement.
However, I am sure some kind of agreement will take place [between the ruling party and the opposition],” Kaladze said.
The opposition, which demanded a fully proportional electoral system for the 2020 race, says that the ruling party is trying to ‘stretch time and cheat people and the international community.’
The opposition says that the GD ‘is not interested in making a deal with the opposition on the 2020 elections,’ as ‘it is eager’ to hold the upcoming elections per the current model which allocates 73 [of total 150] seats for majoritarian MPs.
The opposition says that the ruling party does not want an agreement, while the ruling party says the same about the opposition. Photo: 1TV.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell says that if the ruling party and the opposition make an agreement on the 2020 elections, it will be a “strong message” for the international community that something is changing in Georgia’s political environment.
If the ruling party and the opposition fail to make a deal this week, the 2020 elections will be held per 76/73 electoral system, with 76 seats distributed per the votes received in proportional elections and 73 in the majoritarian elections.
Why is there controversy over the 2020 elections?
- The issue of 2020 elections was raised after parliament rejected the ruling party proposed election bill in November 2019, which allowed an early transition to a fully proportional electoral system starting from 2020, instead of scheduled 2024.
- In June 2020, during protests in Tbilisi, the ruling party promised early transition to a fully proportional system and proposed a bill.
- However, in November 2019 many of the ruling party majoritarian MPs refused to vote for the bill and it was rejected.
- The opposition, which says that the majoritarian elections are unfair and benefiting ruling parties, has accused the GD of ‘deliberately rejecting the bill’ and took to the streets.
- The ruling party officials said they were also ‘disappointed’ with the rejection and failed to persuade majoritarian MPs to vote for the bill.
- The opposition and the ruling party have held four meetings, mediated by diplomatic corps, to reach a deal on the 2020 elections.
- The ruling party offers a 100/50 electoral system for 2020 - 100 proportional and 50 majoritarian seats in parliament - which is unacceptable for the opposition.
- After detention of Ugulava for embezzlement of 48 million GEL state funds, the opposition suspended the negotiations on election issues.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party is ready to accept one of the demands of the opposition for the 2020 elections which will make it impossible for a party to form a government if it receives less than 40 per cent of the vote. Parliament Chair Archil Talakvadze says that the ruling party is making ‘fair and pragmatic offers’ to the opposition to settle the row related to the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze says that the ruling Georgian Dream party has made a new offer - a 110/40 electoral model - for the parliamentary elections later this year, with 110 seats in the legislative body distributed via proportional voting and the remaining 40 via the majoritarian system.
The Georgian opposition parties plan to nominate joint majoritarian candidates if the upcoming parliamentary elections later this year will be held per the existing electoral system, with 77 seats in the legislative body distributed via proportional voting and the remaining 73 via the majoritarian system.
Opposition parties still say they will refuse to enter into a dialogue with the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections which they suspended after the detention of opposition leader Gigi Ugulava earlier this month.
The ruling Georgian Dream party and the united opposition have reached an agreement on holding the upcoming parliamentary elections this October with 120 seats in the legislative body to be distributed via a proportional vote and the remaining 30 via the majoritarian system.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that yesterday's agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the opposition on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections is an ‘important step’ to further strengthen democracy in Georgia, decrease polarisation and help the stable development of the country.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has denied the reports of the opposition that per the election agreement yesterday several opposition leaders will be released from prison. Leader of New Georgia opposition party Giorgi Vashadze said that the opposition agreed with the ruling party yesterday that the leader of the European Georgia Gigi Ugulava, who has been convicted for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL state funds,
Several opposition parties adopted a joint statement earlier today, after making an election deal with the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party yesterday, stating that despite the agreement on the 2020 elections, the ruling party and the opposition still fail to agree about the status of people ‘detained on political grounds.’
Foreign leaders and diplomats have congratulated Georgia for coming to an agreement about the electoral system for the 2020 parliamentary elections, which will feature a 120/30 distribution between proportional and majoritarian votes.