Ruling party proposed election bill scrapped

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has expressed his hope that MPs “will fully share the responsibility assumed towards democratic development of the country,” and vote for the ruling Georgian Dream party’s proposed election bill, which stipulates a move to a fully proportional election system for 2020 instead of 2024. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sophio Katsarava, the former chairperson of the foreign relations committee of the parliament of Georgia has resigned as MP. “Today I have made a very difficult decision, however, from my viewpoint, this is the only right decision”, she announced on Facebook.

Opposition and civic activists are holding demonstrations today amid the parliament’s rejection of the electoral bill aimed to move from a mixed electoral system to a proportional one. Some parliamentary and nonparliamentary opposition parties will gather in front of the parliament of Georgia in downtown Tbilisi at 3 p.m., while another part - at nearby Republic Square at 5 p.m.

The Georgian Interior Ministry announced that police will ensure safety and public order at the protest rallies in downtown Tbilisi today, as well as the freedom of expression of demonstrators. The ministry also said that any violation of the law, including an attempt to storm or block an administrative body, will be resolved by the police within the framework of the law.

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has refused to discuss any new initiatives regarding the electoral system, responding to the protests in Tbilisi demanding a fully proportional electoral system from 2020. Secretary General of the ruling party Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has stated after a party meeting earlier today that the 2020 parliamentary elections will be held with a mixed-electoral system, as parliament rejected the ruling party proposed bill on the move to the fully proportional elections last Thursday.

The leader of the European Georgia opposition party Giga Bokeria has stated that he is surprised by the response of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party to current protests in Tbilisi, as the ruling party accused the opposition of staging provocations and stirring unrest.

 A ruling Georgian Dream (GD) majoritarian MP Dimitri Khundadze has offered the country to switch to a fully majoritarian electoral system amid protests in Tbilisi which were sparked by the rejection of the GD-proposed bill on the transition to a fully proportional electoral system from 2020.

Law enforcers and emergency brigades are present at parliament in central Tbilisi, as last week the opposition announced “a large-scale rally and the blocking of the work of parliament” on November 25 and 26. The leader of the European Georgia opposition party David Bakradze says that rallies will continue until the current state leadership “takes genuine steps to ease the current tension."

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has responded again to ongoing electoral turmoil and stated that 2020 parliamentary elections will be conducted in a mixed electoral system and the “topic is closed.” However, the party said that it will not nominate its candidates in particular majoritarian districts in the 2020 parliamentary elections and will allow opposition candidates to win the race.

Police have dispersed a rally near the parliament building at 5 a.m. earlier today. 28 individuals have been detained while three others have received injuries, the Georgian Interior Ministry reports. Law enforcers used water cannons to open the entrances of the legislative body which were blocked by the opposition and demonstrators protesting the rejection of an election reform bill on November 14.

The Georgian parliament has approved candidates for top parliamentary posts earlier today after several MPs of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) quit the party due to the rejection of the GD-proposed election reform bill on November 14. GD MP Gia Volski has been approved as the first vice-speaker of parliament, while fellow MPs of the same party Mamuka Mdinaradze and Giorgi Kakhiani as deputy chairs of parliament.

The diplomatic corps in Georgia has offered to orchestrate a meeting between the ruling party and the opposition which may take place early tomorrow, former Parliament Speaker, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MP Irakli Kobakhidze has stated. The EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell says that “he is happy” the meeting will take place. 

Tbilisi City Court has sentenced member of the Shecvale (change) youth movement, Beka Papashvili to five days in administrative detention since he had been arrested at a protest rally near the Tbilisi Parliament building on November 28.

Businessman Mamuka Khazaradze’s new civic movement Lelo, former Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili’s Movement for Building and the New Rights party have announced the launch of political cooperation.

MP of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Akaki Zoidze, who chaired the Healthcare Committee in parliament, has announced he is leaving the ruling party and politics, citing the rejection of the GD-proposed election bill as the reason.

About 30 opposition parties, who have offered the transfer to ‘an adapted version of the German electoral model’ for the 2020 parliamentary elections, say they will register the bill in parliament in the coming days and are requesting  Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria send the bill to the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) for evaluations.

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has made an agreement with its majoritarian MPs who are proposing a fully majoritarian electoral system and announced constitutional amendments before the 2020 parliamentary elections. The party says that after the amendments take place, there will be no demands for a transition to fully majoritarian elections by its MPs. 

Ten individuals, mostly civic activists, have been detained at parliament in Tbilisi late yesterday for disobedience to the police and hooliganism as police removed tents from the scene and set up New Year's  attractions for children. A member of the civic movement Shame Giga Makarashvili says that Zuka Berdzenishvili, Beka Kokaia, Beka Basilaia and Romeo Parulava are among the detainees. 

The European Georgia parliamentary opposition party has requested a permission from Tbilisi City Hall to renew protests in the capital around the issue of 2020 parliamentary elections, sparked after parliament rejected an early transition to a fully-proportional electoral system last year.

Opposition parties who have been demanding the 2020 parliamentary elections be held on a proportional or similar election system say they have a plan B if the upcoming elections are held per the mixed electoral system.Leader of the European Georgia opposition party Sergi Kapanadze says that that the plan B means nominating joint opposition candidates for the majoritarian race.

Georgian opposition parties have released a joint statement earlier today expressing hope that the co-founder of opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi will be released soon, ‘like the recently pardoned opposition leaders Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okruashvili.’ 

Voters at the upcoming parliamentary elections in October will be required to observe two-meter social distancing regulations, and all individuals entering polling stations will be thermo screened, Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze told IPN news agency today.