Time in Tbilisi: March 29, 2024 16:05
A bill has been registered in parliament per the agreement of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the opposition on March 8.
The opposition says that the bill, which was initiated by the ruling party, reflects the agreement with GD on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections.
According to the bill:
The opposition says that they ‘mostly like’ the bill.
The United National Movement opposition says that the ruling party refuses to fulfil the part of the election agreement and 'release political prisoners.' Photo: parliament of Georgia press office.
Leader of the European Georgia opposition Giga Bokeria says that one issue is unclear for him, on how additional mandates will be distributed between political parties or election blocs if another party or an election bloc receive more than 40.54 per cent of votes in the proportional elections. (see 7).
However, it is a minor issue,” Bokeria said.
The United National Movement opposition, which was among the parties which made the election agreement with the ruling party, says that it will boycott public discussions around the bill as the ruling party ‘is not fulfilling another part of the agreement which concerns the release of political prisoners.’
The ruling party says that it is ‘perfectly fulfilling’ the agreement and that there are no political prisoners in the country.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that it is fulfilling all the conditions of the election agreement made with the opposition last week with the mediation of the diplomatic corps, responding to allegations of the opposition regarding the release of imprisoned opposition leaders and members.
The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party has denied to participate in parliament's work despite the recent election deal with the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party last week, stating that not all conditions of the agreement have been fulfilled.
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.
US Senators Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,and Jeanne Shaheen,a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, have welcomed a recent agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections, stating that making the deal will benefit the democratic development of the country.
The delegation of the Council of Europe (CoE), which met with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia earlier today, has welcomed the recent agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the opposition on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections, the government of Georgia press office reports.
The Georgian parliament will renew the election system-related discussions as soon as the state of emergency has ended, Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze stated earlier today.
A Lithuanian politician and member of the European Parliament Andrius Kubilius has urged the Georgian Dream government to abide by the March 8 election agreement with the opposition, and raised concerns regarding the recent conviction of several opposition leaders and members.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has urged foreign ambassadors, who mediated election talks between the ruling party and the opposition, to confirm that the Georgian Dream ruling party made no promise to release opposition leaders and members in the March 8 election agreement.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has urged foreign ambassadors, who mediated election talks between the ruling party and the opposition, to confirm that the Georgian Dream ruling party made no promise to release opposition leaders and members in the March 8 election agreement.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that the placement of the ruling party and the opposition March 8 election agreement at any risk is ‘absolutely unacceptable’, responding to the opposition’s allegations that the Georgian Dream ruling party refuses to fully abide by the agreement.
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch has posted on his Twitter account that he expects political parties in Georgia to fully implement the March 8 agreement. At the same time Risch shared a statement released by the US Embassy on the March 8 agreement.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has responded to the statement of US Senator James Risch on an agreement between the ruling party and the opposition, stating that there are no political prisoners in Georgia.
Parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition members, who resumed discussions earlier today, said in a joint statement that the March 8 election agreement with the ruling Georgian Dream party is doomed to fail if the government ‘won’t fully abide by the agreement’ and remain opposition leaders behind cells.
Georgian opposition parties have released a joint statement earlier today expressing hope that the co-founder of opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi will be released soon, ‘like the recently pardoned opposition leaders Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okruashvili.’
Public discussions of the election bill which was drafted per the March 8 ruling party-opposition agreement, will kick off on June 4, at 10 a.m. via the Georgian Public Broadcaster.
The United National Movement opposition (UNM) says that ‘as the biggest opposition party’ they will not nominate candidates in six of eight majoritarian constituencies in Tbilisi, allowing other opposition candidates, from the united opposition, ‘to win the race.’
The Georgian parliament has passed the election bill in its second reading earlier today, with 115 MPs in the 150-member parliament voting in favour. The United National Movement and the European Georgia opposition parties, who support the amendments, refused to participate in the vote as they demand the release of co-founder of opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua.
The denial came several hours before the ‘historic vote’ of election bill in parliament today which proposes a more proportional electoral system for the autumn parliamentary elections, per the ruling party and the opposition March 8 election agreement.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that through the passing of the election bill earlier today, ‘Georgia has taken another important step to ensure its European and Euro-Atlantic future.’"The new electoral system which was adopted demonstrates the Georgian Dream's strong will to consistently implement the most important changes for the country, which no other political force has been able to achieve, and which serves to further consolidate a European parliamentary democracy in Georgia,” Gakharia said.
Foreign ambassadors who facilitated the election talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition, resulting in the March 8 election agreement, have welcomed the adoption of the election bill in its third and final reading earlier today.
The US Department of State and the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Georgia, have welcomed the ‘historic adoption’ of constitutional amendments by the Georgian parliament earlier today.
Member of the European Parliament, Co-President of the Euronest PA, Andrius Kubilius has welcomed the adoption of Georgian constitutional amendments on June 29 which will ensure more proportional electoral system for the autumn parliamentary elections.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has welcomed the adoption of Georgian constitutional amendments on June 29, calling on the Georgian parliament ‘to honour the will of the Georgian people and the pledge of Georgian officials related to the implementation of internationally recommended election reforms.’
Sixty-eight political parties, which are not represented in the current parliament, have appealed to the Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) for registration for the October parliamentary elections.
The Georgian Dream ruling party is likely to receive 39 per cent of votes in the upcoming parliamentary elections in October, says the recently published US Edison Research’s polls, commissioned by Georgian channel Formula TV.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has nominated all 30 of its majoritarian candidates for the upcoming October parliamentary elections, both for the eight constituencies of the capital Tbilisi and the regions. The elections in the autumn will be held in a different manner, with 120 MPs elected per the party-list based electoral system and the remaining 30 per the majoritarian electoral model. Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that the elections will be held ‘in full line with democratic standards and Georgian Dream will celebrate a victory in a fair fight.’
The head and the founder of the Georgian Dream ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili has held an online meeting with NDI President Derek Mitchell and other senior officials of the American non-profit organisation to discuss the pre-election environment in Georgia ahead of the October parliamentary elections.
Girchi, a libertarian party well-known for its outlandish demonstrations and campaigns, says it will raffle away a Tesla car for voters who come out for the October parliamentary elections and if the party makes it over the 1% threshold into parliament.
There are 263 political parties registered in Georgia. However, only 80 of them are active, says Georgia’s State Audit Office.
The mayor of Dmanisi in eastern Georgia and the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Dmanisi regional organisation, Giorgi Tatuashvili, has been dismissed from the party for expressing support for the party’s possible opponent in the October parliamentary elections.
A National Democratic Institute survey predicts 88 per cent of eligible voters will vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 31, noting 59 per cent have not decided yet who they will vote for.
MEPs shared their impressions on Georgia’s reform of its electoral system and on progress made under the Association Agreement earlier today during a debate in the European Parliament.
Five Georgian opposition parties have signed an agreement on a justice reform earlier today which includes the shutting down of the State Security Service, the Interior Ministry decentralisation and cutting the rights of the Chief Prosecutor’s Office.
OSCE/ODIHR will send 350 short-term and 28 long-term observers for Georgia’s October 31 parliamentary elections, Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani stated earlier today.
Germany will send 37 observers for Georgia’s October 31 parliamentary elections in the coming days, while the rest will visit the country by the end of September, German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on September 17.
IRI’s international Technical Election Assessment Mission (TEAM) has already arrived in Georgia to assess the October 31 parliamentary elections.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated in his speech for the UN’s 75th anniversary that Georgia ‘has always been and remains to this day a nation committed to Western values, which naturally harmonized Western and Eastern cultures and civilizations on Georgian soil’.
About 10 members of the ruling Georgia Dream party have been injured and two of them are in critical condition after a confrontation with United National Movement members in the village of Nakhiduri of Bolnisi yesterday, says majoritarian candidate of the Georgian Dream for Bolnisi-Dmanisi-Tetritskaro-Tsalka Gogi Meshveliani.
Opposition party European Georgia has presented its party list for the 2020 parliamentary elections. Leader of the party Davit Bakradze said their representatives in the list are not distributed consecutively, which means that voters themselves decide who enters the parliament.
The recent election polls commissioned by Rustavi 2 TV channel which was conducted by British company Survation say that the ruling Georgian Dream party is expected to receive almost 56 per cent of votes, while polls commissioned by the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi says the party will receive 26,2 per cent of votes in the October 31 parliamentary elections.
A concluding campaign rally organized by the United Opposition - Power in Unity is being held on Freedom Square in downtown Tbilisi. Two days before the parliamentary elections in Georgia, members and supporters of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party marched from Republic Square to Freedom Square in the center of the capital city of Tbilisi, with Georgian flags and banners that read 'let's say goodbye to Bidzina'.
Georgia is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on Saturday, amid the coronavirus pandemic, with citizens going to the polls to elect the country’s 10th national legislature since independence from the Soviet Union back in 1991. For the first time, the elections will be held per a mixed electoral system, with 120 members of parliament (MP) to be elected via party lists and the remaining 30 running in single-member majoritarian districts.