Georgia’s 10th parliament to hold its first session this week
Fourteen parties received seats in parliament per the results of October 31 parliamentary elections. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The newly elected 10th national legislature of Georgia will hold its first session on December 11, at 12:00, the decree by the president of Georgia reads.
It still remains unclear whether 60 opposition MPs will be present at the session or not as 8 opposition parties and blocs who were voted in on the October 31 parliamentary elections say that the elections were fabricated and are demanding repeat elections.
The fourth round of talks between the ruling party and the opposition, with the mediation of the diplomatic corps, is scheduled later today to find a way out of the current political crisis.
Opposition parties took to the street following the October 31 parliamentary elections. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
For the first time, the October 31 parliamentary elections were held per a mixed electoral system, with 120 members of parliament (MP) elected via party lists and the remaining 30 running in single-member majoritarian districts.
The ruling Georgian Dream party received 90 seats in parliament per the election results which means that the party will be able to form the government alone, without the support of other parliamentary parties.
The ruling Georgian Dream party and the leaders of eight opposition parties and blocs who were voted in during the October 31 parliamentary elections have held a third meeting with the mediation of foreign ambassadors earlier today to find a way out of the current political crisis. The opposition leaders who say that the elections were fabricated and refuse to take up their mandates described the meeting as ‘positive and useful, as several issues have been agreed.’
The Central Election Commission convened a session earlier today to summarise the final results of Georgia’s parliamentary elections. Having summed up the election results at today’s session, the CEC will now send the document to the parliament of Georgia, which will hold the first session of the tenth convocation within ten days.
Nine of 14 political parties who received at least one per cent of votes in the October 31 parliamentary elections have sent a letter of consent to the country’s Central Election Commission to receive annual state funding.
Georgia is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on Saturday, amid the coronavirus pandemic, with citizens going to the polls to elect the country’s 10th national legislature since independence from the Soviet Union back in 1991. For the first time, the elections will be held per a mixed electoral system, with 120 members of parliament (MP) to be elected via party lists and the remaining 30 running in single-member majoritarian districts.
Three days ahead of the first session of the newly elected legislature, the ruling party and opposition met for the fourth time to discuss a possible solution out of the political deadlock in Georgia.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has promised that they will accept repeat elections if a temporary investigative commission created by the 10th convocation of the parliament of Georgia reveals that at least 1% of votes were rigged or falsified. Kobakhidze commented on other issues related to the parliament, noting that parties that do not take up their mandates in parliament will not receive budgetary funding and other benefits.
The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party says that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has plans to blackmail them and disrupt the election talks which are taking place with the mediation of diplomatic corps.
The newly elected parliament of Georgia will convene its first session at 12 p.m. on December 11. However, it will be comprised only of ruling Georgian Dream party members, as the opposition refuses to attend. Opposition politicians voted into parliament remain unanimous in their decision to boycott the new parliament, and say they intend to have their MP status rescinded.
The 10th convocation of the parliament of Georgia is holding its first session today following the October 31 parliamentary elections and the second round of elections on November 21. No opposition MPs from the eight parties and election blocs that were voted into parliament are attending the session. Five of eight opposition parties and blocs have signed a memorandum earlier today in which they do not recognise the election results, and demand the conduct of repeat elections and refuse to take up their mandates.
Archil Talakvadze has been elected chair of the Georgian parliament with 86 votes earlier today, during the first session of the 10th parliament of Georgia.