PM Garibashvili initiates 50% election barrier for Mayors and Governors

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili has initiated a 50 percent election barrier on the threshold of the local self-government elections.

The news, announced today, stated Garibashvili had offered the Georgian Dream (DG) coalition, the ruling party, to increase the minimal threshold for electing mayors of self-governed cities and the elected heads of municipalities in the first round of voting to 50 percent.

The news came following Garibashvili’s meeting with the GD coalition’s Political Council members.

The draft bill of Local Self-Government of Georgia, which was not accepted at the final hearing, determined to set a minimum threshold for electing mayors of self-governed cities in the first round of voting at 40 percent and at 33 percent for elected heads of municipalities.

Today, the PM’s press office said the GD’s members agreed to increase the minimal threshold.

Under the new initiative, the Mayoral and Governor candidates must overcome a 50 percent threshold to win.

The initial changes in the Local Self-Government Code, which expected to set a minimum threshold for electing mayors of self-governed cities in the first round of voting at 40 percent and at 33 percent for elected heads of municipalities, aroused serious debates.         

The Code generated a controversial response from opposition parties, who said the initiative will not ensure a higher level of legitimacy.

Georgia’s self-government elections are set to take place this spring.