Ruling party, opposition agree on 120/30 electoral system for 2020 parliamentary polls

Before reaching the agreement earlier today, the opposition and the ruling party have held four meetings, facilitated by diplomatic corps, to reach a deal on the 2020 elections. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge

Agenda.ge, 08 Mar 2020 - 21:31, Tbilisi,Georgia

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.

The agreement also foresees a fair composition of election districts, a 1% threshold, and a cap recognising that no single party that wins less than 40% of the votes should be able to get its own majority in the next parliament.

In a memorandum of understanding issued after the meeting, the political parties declared “full support” for the above changes and commitment to ensure their affirmative votes in the Parliament “to pass the constitutional amendments”.

The undersigned parties have also jointly stated that the ongoing dialogue aimed to ensure “free and fair” parliamentary elections in 2020 “that reflect the will of the Georgian people”. 

While differences remain, we all agree on the necessity of addressing actions that could be perceived as inappropriate politicisation of Georgia’s judicial and electoral processes and of avoiding any such actions in the future”, the parties said in a joint statement earlier today. 

They also welcomed Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili’s offer “to facilitate, within her constitutional powers, a free, fair, and transparent electoral process”.

Tbilisi Mayor and ruling party Secretary General Kakha Kaladze has shared the news on Twitter: