US Ambassador Degnan meets with opposition leaders
Degnan stressed the importance of all sides actively participating in the ongoing political dialogue and wider electoral reform process to address OSCE/ODIHR recommendations. Photo: US Embassy in Georgia.
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US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has hosted opposition leaders in order to discuss Georgia’s political environment today, reports the US Embassy in Georgia.
Degnan stressed the importance of all sides actively participating in the ongoing political dialogue and wider electoral reform process to address OSCE/ODIHR recommendations.
დღეს ელჩმა დეგნანმა ოპოზიციის ლიდერებს გასაცნობად და საქართველოს პოლიტიკურ გარემოზე სასაუბროდ უმასპინძლა.https://t.co/6V7pW233Xi
— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) February 18, 2020
The OSCE/ODIHR released its conclusion on the Georgian opposition’s electoral bill on February 5, 2020, which reads that it is in the competence of the national courts, and not theirs, to decide whether a bill is in line with the state constitution or not.
The choice of an electoral system, whether it be majoritarian, proportional, hybrid or an alternative system, should be subject to a broad inclusive debate which allows relevant stakeholders to bring forward positive and negative effects of the reform. Any proposed changes have to be carefully considered, including their adoption by a large consensus among political parties”, the conclusion reads.
The opposition offered an adapted version of the German electoral model for the 2020 parliamentary elections. The adapted version distributes seats in parliament per the votes received in proportional voting, after the Georgian parliament rejected the ruling party proposed election bill on early transition to a fully proportional electoral system starting from 2020 instead of the scheduled 2024.
The opposition says that the ruling Georgian Dream party ‘deliberately rejected’ the bill and thus took to the streets in November 2019.