10 days until elections: Final day for changes to party lists

Today is the last day political parties can make changes to their proportional or majoritarian lists ahead of the October 8 Parliamentary Election. 

Parties have until 6pm to make any changes to their party lists. 

After this deadline, the Central Election Commission (CEC) will approve the ballot text and begin printing election papers. 

Political bloc Paata Burchuladze - State for People, established by  opera singer Paata Burchuladze, is yet to confirm its party list after one party in the coalition quit the bloc yesterday and announced it would not take part in this year’s elections.

The political group was established for the October 8 elections and initially united four parties: 

• State for People – established by Burchuladze
• Girchi – a political party created by ex-members of United National Movement (UNM) 
• New Georgia – a party founded by ex-UNM member Giorgi Vashadze 
• New Rights – a non-Parliamentary opposition. 

In the past 24 hours Girchi announced it had quit the bloc because Burchuladze "was blackmailing its members” to gain money from the political party.

Burchuladze responded to the allegation and said he "dismissed” Girchi from the bloc after he learned the party was financed by Georgia’s ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili – the  man who founded ruling Georgian Dream (GD) coalition in 2012. 

A meeting is currently underway between Burchuladze and Vashadze of New  Georgia, whose party was reported to also quit the block. 

Meanwhile New Rights said it would remain within the Paata Burchuladze - State for People bloc. 

Regardless, Burchuladze has until 6pm to present his final party list to the CEC.