Opposition may nominate joint candidates if electoral system remains unchanged in upcoming elections
The opposition says that nominating joint majoritarian candidates is the plan B. Photo: new posts.
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The Georgian opposition parties plan to nominate joint majoritarian candidates if the upcoming parliamentary elections later this year will be held per the existing electoral system, with 77 seats in the legislative body distributed via proportional voting and the remaining 73 via the majoritarian system.
The opposition says that this will be their ‘plan B’ if no deal is reached with the ruling Georgian Dream party on which electoral model to use for the 2020 race.
Leader of the European Georgia opposition party Sergi Kapanadze says that several joint candidates are ‘nearly selected’ for Tbilisi.
Negotiations are in progress and the candidates will be selected through the consensus between the opposition parties to defeat the Georgian Dream in the elections,” Kapanadze said.
Independent MP Eka Beselia says that as of now ‘two things’ are agreed upon between opposition parties.
The ruling Georgian Dream party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze has urged opposition parties to continue a dialogue on 2020 election issue.
The first thing is for opposition leaders to be nominated for majoritarian candidates as it will boost their chances to win, and the second - to have joint candidates where it is possible,” Beselia said.
Opposition parties still say they will refuse to enter into a dialogue with the ruling party on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections which they suspended after the detention of opposition leader Gigi Ugulava earlier this month.
The Ruling party states 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.
Georgia is scheduled to move to a fully proportional electoral system from 2024. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Why is there controversy over the 2020 elections?
- 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.
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.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has expressed readiness to meet with separate opposition parties as well as the united opposition to reach a deal with them on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections. The United National Movement opposition says that it is an attempt to ‘divide and run,’ stating that the ruling party will not achieve its goal “to split the opposition’s unity’ around the election topic.
Ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Secretary General, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze and the party’s Executive Secretary Irakli Kobakhidze have offered MEPs in the European parliament to create a special mission, composed of members of different political groups, to look into the embezzlement case involving opposition leader Gigi Ugulava.
The US embassy to Georgia has reported that they are disappointed that the timing and context of the conviction and sentencing of an opposition leader Gigi Ugulava yesterday has put the election dialogue between opposition parties and the ruling Georgian Dream party at risk. Ugulava, who was the ex-Tbilisi mayor under the United National Movement leadership and now a current leader of the European Georgia opposition party, has been sentenced to three years and two months in prison.
The opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze says that the ruling Georgian Dream party has made a new offer - a 110/40 electoral model - for the parliamentary elections later this year, with 110 seats in the legislative body distributed via proportional voting and the remaining 40 via the majoritarian system.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party is ready to accept one of the demands of the opposition for the 2020 elections which will make it impossible for a party to form a government if it receives less than 40 per cent of the vote. Parliament Chair Archil Talakvadze says that the ruling party is making ‘fair and pragmatic offers’ to the opposition to settle the row related to the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) Secretary General and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze says that GD has made two offers to the opposition on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections. Kaladze says that the offers pertain to the distribution of seats in the 150-member parliament. He stated that there is disagreement within the opposition which makes it difficult to reach an agreement.
Leader of the European Georgia opposition party, former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava who has been imprisoned for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL in state funds, says that he does not want the opposition’s demand for his release to create an obstacle in reaching an agreement [with the ruling party] on the 2020 election issue.
The ruling Georgian Dream party and the united opposition have reached an agreement on holding the upcoming parliamentary elections this October with 120 seats in the legislative body to be distributed via a proportional vote and the remaining 30 via the majoritarian system.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that yesterday's agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the opposition on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections is an ‘important step’ to further strengthen democracy in Georgia, decrease polarisation and help the stable development of the country.
A Tbilisi City Court judge has annulled the pretrial measure for former Tbilisi Mayor, now leader of the European Georgia opposition party Gigi Ugulava, for an incident at Tbilisi International Airport in December 2019 as he was arrested earlier this year for another case for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL of state funds while in office.
Former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has called on opposition parties to unite their election lists for the upcoming, October parliamentary polls in Georgia.