Khatia Dekanoidze, an opposition MP, on Monday said if the ruling party did not accept lowering of an election threshold from five to two percent for the 2024 Parliamentary elections, the opposition will have to make certain centers to merge forces for the race. 

"Cooperation does not mean ephemeral unity. Blocs are prohibited and there is a five percent electoral threshold. If the Government really wants a pro-Western future, then it should lower the threshold. Lowering the threshold will be the encouragement of a diverse Parliament and various forces, and then exactly the binding of a coalition Government by pro-Western forces”, she said. 

Dekanoidze noted the Charles Michnel agreement - proposed by the European Council President to end a six-month political standoff in Georgia after the 2020 elections - envisaged the decrease of the threshold to two percent. However, the ruling party withdrew from the agreement in 2021. 

“This was a very important road map that was in the Charles Michel document, including in terms of democracy. Also, after granting the candidate status, Georgia has nine steps to go through, and one of the steps is related to democracy. Democracy means that there is as much diversity as possible and that parties really have their own opinions and identities. Otherwise, we automatically push the parties to merge”, Dekanoidze said. 

She noted the ruling party wished only the United National Movement opposition to overcome the threshold.