On 25 November, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party Kakha Kaladze closed the Georgian society’s debate to use the proportional election system in 2020. “There are no resources available to mobilize 113 votes around any new constitutional changes at present. The topic is closed - in 2020 a mixed electoral system will be kept, which fully complies with democratic principles, therefore the political spectrum should devote all its efforts to preparing for the elections and holding the elections in accordance with high democratic standards,“ he said. He also said that the Georgian Dream is ready to hold a plebiscite on the issue of the electoral system on the day of either the 2020 parliamentary elections or 2021 local government elections.
“We have made a decision not to nominate our candidates in the majoritarian districts for 2020 where, apart from the United National Movement opposition party and its affiliated parties, the candidates of other opposition parties or independent candidates will be present, who will have a real chance to win the race,” read the statement of the Georgian Dream.
The Georgain Dream also nominated their candidates for the vacant posts in the parliament after the proportional election system vote failed (Caucasus Watch reported). Giorgi Volski has been nominated for the first vice–speaker position to replace Tamar Chugoshvili. Mamuka Mdinaradze has been nominated as vice-speaker and will lead the party majority in the parliament. Giorgi Kakhiani has been nominated for the third vice-parliament speaker and Kakha Kuchava as the fourth vice-speaker. Irakli Beraia, who previously served as the deputy head of parliament’s Defence and Security Committee, has been nominated for the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee. David Songulashvili is expected to head the Euro Integration Committee in the legislative body, while Guram Macharashvili is likely to become the deputy head of parliament’s Education, Science and Culture Committee. Nino Tsilosani has been nominated to chair parliament's Environmental Protection Committee.
The United Opposition party proposed their own model for a new electoral system. Giorgi Vashadze, one of the leaders of the United Opposition, told reporters that their model is based on the so-called German model, is consistent with the Georgian constitution, expresses public opinion, gives preference to the proportional system and considers Georgian reality. “The novelty of all this is that votes will be proportionally distributed among candidates; the majoritarian system will be maintained, but there will be multi-mandate majoritarian constituencies - 6, 7 or 8-mandate constituencies. Each voter will have one vote and therefore, no political force will be able to seize power. The interest of each individual will be maximally expressed and, most importantly, the government will serve people and not authoritarians, who were unfortunately developed under the old system,“ he said.
One of the leaders of the opposition European Georgia party, Giga Bokeria, said that the United Opposition will continue picketing the parliament building and holding protests until the ruling team agrees to their electoral system model. “First, they should accept this model and then hold a plebiscite, which we will definitely win. We will continue picketing Parliament and holding protests until the ruling team agrees to this model and takes back its insult. Who will buy the idea of holding a plebiscite after 6 months? And then again Okriashvili and Gulordava should decide Georgia's fate?! They will not do so,” he said.
