Ruling party says it may ‘gift’ lower election threshold to opposition
Head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze says that a lower election threshold will be dependent on the goodwill of the party. Photo: Georgian Dream press office.
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The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says that it may accept a two per cent election threshold for the next two parliamentary elections, noting that ‘it will be [a sign of] the goodwill of the GD and will be dependent on how the opposition will act.’
Head of the GD Irakli Kobakhidze says that the party ‘has no obligation’ to support the constitutional amendments which offer a lower election threshold according to the April 2021 EU-mediated agreement as the party withdrew from it in July.
The approval of the bill requires the support of at least 113 MPs in the 150-member state legislature, which means that both the ruling party, which has 90 MPs, and the opposition, must support it.
The bill, which says that the next two parliamentary elections must be held with a two percent election threshold and on a fully proportional electoral system, was approved with its first reading in early September 2021, with two readings still ahead for final approval.
Kobakhidze says that discussions around the amendments are temporarily suspended and ‘much will be dependent on the actions of various political players.’
The CEO of the Mtavari Channel, Nika Gvaramia comments on the Georgian Dreams position about the constitutional changes
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There is no necessity for the lower election threshold as a five percent election threshold for the 2024 elections, which is already written in the constitution, is in full accordance with democratic standards,” Kobakhidze said.
He stated that if the amendments are approved by the state legislature, they will not concern snap elections as the opposition wishes.
The Lelo opposition party says that the GD is trying ‘to once again cheat the public and reject the amendments which have already been agreed.’
Head of Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition party Giorgi Vashadze claims that Kobakhidze’s statements ‘are caused by the fear of snap elections which will definitely take place.’
Four opposition parties, the United National Movement, Girchi, Droa and Lelo formed a coalition earlier today to ‘fight for the adoption of constitutional amendments and snap parliamentary elections.’
They say that a door is open for other political parties.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has launched a new weekly English-language podcast on Youtube oriented on the audience outside Georgia.
Head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Irakli Kobakhidze has responded to the criticism of the EU and US embassies on the removal of a stipulation from constitutional amendments on the election rule of Georgia's prosecutor general. Kobakhidze stated that the stipulation was ‘legal nonsense,’ noting that the US and EU ambassadors ‘are likely not to have had’ proper and correct consultations around the issue.
Head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, MP Irakli Kobakhidze has reminded the parliamentary opposition that constitutional amendments related to electoral and other issues are a result of the party’s goodwill as the GD has withdrawn from the EU-mediated agreement.The agreement signed by the ruling party and the majority of opposition parties on April 19, 2021 obliged the signatories to carry out large-scale electoral and judiciary reforms.
The ruling Georgian Dream party and a number of opposition parties have agreed on several constitutional amendments put forward in a EU-mediated compromise back in April to end months of political standoff.
Eighteen Georgian NGOs say in a joint statement that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party ‘must keep its promise’ on a lower election threshold for the next two parliamentary elections and a fully proportional electoral system, and ‘must support’ the constitutional changes which were proposed in the April 2021 EU-mediated agreement.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says that if the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party rejects an electoral bill which would establish a two percent election threshold for the next two parliamentary elections, the move may ‘risk [establishing] the tyranny of the majority.’
Georgian Parliament Vice Speaker Archil Talakvadze has responded to US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan’s statement regarding an electoral bill and stated that ‘if there was tyranny and autocratic rule’ in the country, it was under former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili’s government.