Georgian PM: election agreement will strengthen democracy, decrease polarisation
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has thanked the diplomatic corps for mediating talks between the ruling party and the opposition. Photo: Prime Minister’s press office.
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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.
Gakharia has thanked the diplomatic corps in the country for mediating in talks on the election issue.
They have contributed much towards the conclusion of the agreement,” Gakharia said.
The ruling party and the opposition agreed to hold upcoming elections in the autumn with 120 seats in the legislative body distributed via a proportional vote and the remaining 30 via the majoritarian system.
The US Congressman Adam Kinzinger tweeted:
My heartfelt “congrats” to the people of #Georgia for reaching an agreement on the 2020 parliamentary elections. Democracy is hard work, but worth it. Speaker Talakvadze and many others deserve appreciation for their work. Larger statement to follow later.
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) March 8, 2020
The agreement also foresees a ‘fair composition of election districts’, a one per cent election threshold, and a cap recognising that no single party that wins less than 40 per cent of the votes should be able to form a majority in the next parliament.
Find out more about why there was controversy surrounding the 2020 elections here.