Opposition still refuses to participate in dialogue on election issue, ruling party says time is expiring

Opposition leader Zaal Udumashvili said today that opposition parties have not changed their mind on the dialogue regarding 2020 elections.Photo: IPN.

Agenda.ge, 21 Feb 2020 - 16:57, Tbilisi,Georgia

Opposition parties still say they will refuse to enter into a dialogue with the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections which they suspended after the detention of opposition leader Gigi Ugulava earlier this month.

Renewal of the dialogue has no meaning as opposition leaders are politically persecuted,” member of the United National Movement opposition party Zaal Udumashvili said earlier today.

Ruling party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze responded that the door for carrying out changes regarding the 2020 elections is closing at the end of February and urged the opposition to return to the table of negotiations. 

If the ruling party and the opposition fail to agree on the electoral system for 2020 elections, the race will be held per the current model - with 77 MPs elected based on party lists and remaining 73 - in the majoritarian race.

Ruling party urges opposition to continue the dialogue. 

  • The issue of 2020 elections was raised after parliament rejected the ruling party proposed election bill in November 2019, which allowed an early transition to a fully proportional electoral system starting from 2020, instead of scheduled 2024. 
  • In June 2020, during protests in Tbilisi, the ruling party promised early transition to a fully proportional system and proposed a bill. 
  • However, in November 2019 many of the ruling party majoritarian MPs refused to vote for the bill and it was rejected. 
  • The opposition, which says that the majoritarian elections are unfair and benefiting ruling parties, has accused the GD of ‘deliberately rejecting the bill’ and took to the streets. 
  • The ruling party officials said they were also ‘disappointed’ with the rejection and failed to persuade majoritarian MPs to vote for the bill. 
  • The opposition and the ruling party have held four meetings, mediated by diplomatic corps, to reach a deal on the 2020 elections. 
  • The ruling party offers a 100/50 electoral system for 2020 - 100 proportional and 50 majoritarian seats in parliament - which is unacceptable for the opposition.  
  • After detention of Ugulava for embezzlement of 48 million GEL state funds, the opposition suspended the negotiations on election issues.