Lowering five-percent election threshold not on agenda – ruling party MP

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Parliament, on Wednesday said the GD had no plans to back the lowering of a five-percent election threshold ahead of the next year’s Parliamentary race.

 

Citing the majority of the European states which he said had chosen the five-percent election threshold, the MP said the 2021 deal, brokered by the European Council President Charles Michel that offered a lower election threshold, had been canceled. 

 

Mdinaradze reiterated the key reason for the ruling party’s decision in July 2021 to walk out on the deal was the refusal of the United National Movement opposition party – the largest opposition group – to join it. 

 

Michel facilitated the agreement to help Georgian political actors to resolve a six-month political standoff following the 2020 Parliamentary elections.