Opposition leader says ruling party offering 110/40 electoral system for upcoming elections

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.

• Ruling party officials offer EP members to create mission to look into arrested opposition leader’s case

 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.