PM Gakharia: 'historic political process must culminate in democratic, transparent elections'
Gakharia said that a 'historic political process' is taking place in Georgia today which provides the country with the opportunity to move on to a new stage of democratisation and Euro-Atlantic integration. Photo: PM's press office.
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Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that the historic political process of adopting constitutional amendments to Georgia’s electoral system ‘must culminate in democratic, transparent elections.’
Each of us must aim for this goal, regardless of the political platform we may represent", Gakharia said at today's government meeting.
He said that a 'historic political process' is taking place in Georgia today which provides the country with the opportunity to move on to a new stage of democratisation and Euro-Atlantic integration.
This process was quite complicated, dynamic, and emotional but as a result, we have a new electoral system that has already been approved by the parliament. Today, the legislative amendments envisaged by the ESCE/ODIHR recommendations are also underway and I am certain that the parliament will successfully conclude this process... This will bring more stability to our democratic development; however, we are all well aware that open, democratic, and competitive elections must be the ultimate goal and the ultimate result of this process", Gakharia said.
The Georgian parliament passed the election bill drafted with the mediation of the diplomatic corps in its third and final reading on June 29.
117 MPs voted for and three went against the bill which will institute a more proportional electoral system for this autumn’s parliamentary elections.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has welcomed the adoption of Georgian constitutional amendments on June 29, calling on the Georgian parliament ‘to honour the will of the Georgian people and the pledge of Georgian officials related to the implementation of internationally recommended election reforms.’
The Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has signed the bill of amendments to the election system, calling the constitutional changes a serious step towards democracy and stability. The Georgian parliament has passed an election bill drafted with the mediation of the diplomatic corps in its third and final reading earlier today.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that through the passing of the election bill earlier today, ‘Georgia has taken another important step to ensure its European and Euro-Atlantic future.’"The new electoral system which was adopted demonstrates the Georgian Dream's strong will to consistently implement the most important changes for the country, which no other political force has been able to achieve, and which serves to further consolidate a European parliamentary democracy in Georgia,” Gakharia said.
The Georgian parliament has passed the election bill drafted with the mediation of the diplomatic corps in its third and final reading earlier today. 117 MPs voted for and three went against the bill which will institute a more proportional electoral system for this autumn’s parliamentary elections. The United National Movement and European Georgia opposition parties refused to participate in the vote, stating that with the continued incarceration of the co-founder of opposition-minded TV channel Giorgi Rurua, the ruling party ‘did not fully abide by the March 8 election agreement.’