Several MPs leave ruling team as Parliament rejects bill on electoral amendments
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Friday, November 15
An important decision was made at yesterday’s plenary session of the Parliament of Georgia. With 101 votes against 3, parliament did not approve constitutional bill initiated by 92 lawmakers from the Georgian Dream coalition, which aimed a transition to the proportional electoral system.
141 of 150 MPs participated in the voting, 113 votes were needed for the bill to be approved. 37 lawmakers abstained from voting. Opponents of the bill are part of the Georgian Dream's majoritarian MPs. The draft constitutional amendments were fully supported by the United National Movement, European Georgia and Patriot Alliance and independent MPs.
Following the voting, members of the Georgian Dream, who are often referred to as the ruling party’s ‘links to the West’ left majority. Vice-Speaker of the Parliament, Tamar Chugoshvili, Majoritarian MP Giorgi Mosidze, Deputy Chairperson of the Foreign Relations Dimitri Tskitishvili, Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration, Tamar Khulordava and Chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee, Sofio Katsarava announced their decision after the voting.
According to Chugoshvili, this decision is fundamental to them.
“No matter what caused the failure of this constitutional amendment. We have no other option but to leave both parliamentary positions and the parliamentary majority, as the failure of this constitutional amendment is a very controversial issue on which we cannot take responsibility,” said Chugoshvili.
Chugoshvili added that the firm position of this group of MPs was known for other members of the party before the voting.
Later yesterday, Chairperson of the Education, Science and Culture Committee, Mariam Jashi also announced that she would leave the majority. According to her, these changes were very important to her, and she could not have made another decision.
According to Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the chairman of the Georgian Dream, did everything in his power to ensure that the draft law would pass, but a sufficient number of votes still could not be mobilized. Talakvadze states that the government faces its responsibility and continues to work on electoral legislation.
MP Levan Gogichaishvili says that this decision is an attack on the freedom of the country. As he says, it is a planned conspiracy against Georgia's democracy and country’s future.
The Movements "Change" and "It’s a Shame" condemn the Parliament's decision and call it shameful. Their statement says that it is a betrayal of the country that no patriot will tolerate.
As the parliament announced the decision, protesters gathered near the Parliament and managed to block the Rustaveli Avenue. As one of the organizers of the rally Shota Digmelashvili said, “we will use all peaceful demonstrations to get back elections that were stolen from us.”
Also, yesterday, after the bill on electoral amendments failed to pass, representatives of different opposition parties gathered at the office of the Labour Party of Georgia to discuss plans.
Known for their different views and often called ‘political enemies,’ politicians gathered for the mutual aim – to find a way out of this situation.
Before the meeting began, the chairman of the United National Movement, Giorgi Vashadze told reporters that this meeting will ensure “democracy and parliamentarism to be restored in Georgia. We should get rid of this criminal regime.”
Besides Vashadze, the gathering was attended by Gigi Ugulava, Secretary-General of European Georgia, Nino Burjanadze, Democratic Movement – United Georgia, Tako Charkviani leader of the Law and Justice, David Berdzenishvili, one of the Republican leaders, Eka Beselia, Chairperson for Justice, and other representatives of numerous Georgian opposition parties.
As Burjanadze said, for her, the most important thing that the country can gain the opportunity for democratic and fair elections. “We should all realize that this kind of behavior [of the government] cannot be continued,” added Burjanadze.
Some representatives of the opposition say that snap election is one of the only logical continuations of the events. Former Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze says that discussing by-elections is groundless and the Georgian Dream is preparing for the October 31, 2020 elections.
Leader of public movement Lelo, Mamuka Khazaradze says that today, protection of freedom of Georgia and survival of the future of the country stands at the Rustaveli Avenue. Khazaradze's statement notes that by failing constitutional changes, the ruling political force has once again proved that it does not care about the Georgian population.
Following the protests of June 2019, the ruling party agreed to one of the demands and initiated for the 2020 elections to be held with the proportional system. The ruling party presented its initiative to the parliament to hold the 2020 elections proportionally.
Initially planned to be adopted on November 12, the voting was postponed twice.
