Ruling party proposes controversial electoral bill

The Georgian Dream ruling party has put forth a proposal in Parliament which may grant parties the right to designate specific deputy candidates as representatives for one or multiple municipalities.

As part of this initiative, the proposed amendment seeks to eliminate the 40% electoral threshold currently required for candidates of the City Assembly. Instead, candidates under the party-list-based election system would secure seats by receiving the highest number of votes, effectively abolishing the need for a second round of elections. Speaker of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, clarified that by assigning candidates as delegates within party lists, parties would offer voters clarity on who can represent their interests within the party framework.

Papuashvili emphasized during the Bureau session that discussions on these proposed changes to the Electoral Code would not be rushed, allowing ample opportunity for all stakeholders to engage in the process.

He further noted that a study conducted with assistance from the United Nations Development Agency explored how the parliament could maintain connections with regional populations following the abolition of the majoritarian system. However, he highlighted a lack of substantial international precedents in this area, indicating that either a majoritarian system is in place or not.

Regarding concerns raised about the abolition of the 40% electoral threshold, Beka Liluashvili from the For Georgia opposition party questioned the rationale behind this decision. He argued that the threshold was established in 2014 to enhance the legitimacy of self-governing city heads and city assembly candidates, particularly in light of decentralization efforts.

Liluashvili questioned the timing of these proposed changes, especially as local self-government elections are still a year and a half away.