PACE monitors express ‘deep regret’ over parliament’s rejection of election bill
Titus Corlatean and Claude Kern call on all political forces and in particularly the ruling majority “to explore ways in which these amendments could still be passed before the coming elections”. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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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.
We deplore the lack of support for these amendments. The introduction of a proportional system has been called for by all stakeholders for more than a decade, and its introduction was long overdue,” PACE co-rapporteurs Titus Corlatean and Claude Kern said.
In the light of the clear consensus by all stakeholders on the need to introduce this system before the 2020 parliamentary elections, the failure of the amendments to pass is incomprehensible. This is a step backwards,” they added.
They further call on all political forces and in particularly the ruling majority “to explore ways in which these amendments could still be passed before the coming elections”.
PACE's #Georgia monitors have deplored the failure of the Georgian Parliament to pass constitutional amendments on a proportional election system: "This is a step backwards." https://t.co/xgHhGpQRtW pic.twitter.com/ZAYJKEbyE9
— PACE (@PACE_News) November 14, 2019
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party proposed bill on holding of 2020 parliamentary elections with a fully proportional voting system and a zero threshold has been scrapped as only 101 MPs voted for it instead of mandatory 113.
Vice Parliament Speaker of Georgia Tamar Chugoshvili and her seven fellow MPs have left the Georgian Dream ruling party after the rejection of the bill, while demonstrators and the opposition have blocked Rustaveli Avenue in protest.
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 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 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.”
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.
Giorgi Begadze is the ninth MP to leave the Georgian Dream (GD) ruling party after the recent rejection of the GD-proposed election bill. Begadze is the majoritarian MP of the ruling party in Rustavi, a town close to the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.
Georgian opposition parties and young civic activists who participated in June’s anti-occupation rallies have set out their main demands after the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party proposed election bill was scrapped on Thursday.
Three MPs of the Conservative party have left the Georgian Dream ruling party after the parliament rejected the ruling party proposed election bill yesterday on the transition to a fully proportional electoral system from 2020.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has met with the head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Bidzina Ivanishvili and Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze to “find solutions” after the rejection of the ruling party proposed election bill in parliament yesterday. Hartzell stated that the EU expected tension to follow the rejection of the bill.
Four individuals protesting the decision of the Georgian parliament yesterday to reject a bill that would provide for fully proportional elections in the country were detained by the building of the Adjara regional government and later released by a judge in the Black Sea city of Batumi.