Opposition leader says ruling party offering 110/40 electoral system for upcoming elections
Opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze said that the united opposition will not accept the ruling party's ‘new offer.’ Photo: IPN.
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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.
Vashadze who attended an informal meeting between the ruling party and the united opposition at the EU representation office in Tbilisi earlier today, says that the ‘opposition will not accept the offer.’
We will accept the offers by the ruling party if two key demands are fulfilled: the government must stop persecution of opposition representatives and the party which receives less than 40 per cent of votes in the elections must not be able to form a parliamentary majority independently,” Vashadze says.
Ruling party MP Irakli Kobakhidze, who attended the meeting with Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze, says that ‘no such offer was made’ to the opposition.
Today, we have attended a breakfast organised by diplomatic corps [as they mediate a dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition on 2020 elections] and I want to thank them for this. It is natural we discussed several issues related to the elections. However, no offer on the 110/40 system was made by us,” Kobakhidze said.
Former Parliamnet Speaker Kobakhidze says no new offer was made to the opposition. Photo: Georgian Dream press office.
Talakvadze stated that 'it is very likely the ruling party and the opposition election dialogue to renew soon.'
Other opposition leaders also said that Vashadze 'misunderstood' and no such offer was made officially.
Opposition parties refused to hold the fifth meeting with the ruling party on 2020 elections, mediated by diplomatic corps, after the detention of opposition leader Gigi Ugulava earlier this month.
The ruling party, which dismisses the accusations of political persecution, states that the door for carrying out changes regarding the 2020 elections is closing at the end of February and urges the opposition to return to the table of negotiations.
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.
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.
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.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has urged opposition parties to resume negotiations with them on the 2020 elections, as the opposition decided to suspend dialogue after the conviction of opposition leader Gigi Ugulava earlier this week for embezzlement of 48 million GEL while serving as Tbilisi mayor. 'Being in politics must not be an indulgence to any politician, no matter which party he belongs to. Everyone is equal before law,” Mdinaradze said.
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.
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.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has denied the reports of the opposition that per the election agreement yesterday several opposition leaders will be released from prison. Leader of New Georgia opposition party Giorgi Vashadze said that the opposition agreed with the ruling party yesterday that the leader of the European Georgia Gigi Ugulava, who has been convicted for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL state funds,
Foreign leaders and diplomats have congratulated Georgia for coming to an agreement about the electoral system for the 2020 parliamentary elections, which will feature a 120/30 distribution between proportional and majoritarian votes.