Georgian Dream reaches inner consensus on electoral system

The ruling Georgian Dream party has made an agreement with its majoritarian MPs who are proposing a fully majoritarian electoral system and announced constitutional amendments before the 2020 parliamentary elections.

According to the party, after the amendments take place, there will be no demands for a transition to fully majoritarian elections by its MPs.

Ruling party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze said that most of the ruling party members are against fully majoritarian elections.

However, the party "shared the fears" that after 2020 parliamentary elections through the 2024 elections "there would be continued talks on snap parliamentary elections with a fully proportional electoral system [by the opposition] which would create political instability and help several political forces trigger artificial conflicts."

"We agreed with our MPs proposing fully majoritarian elections that they will withdraw their initiative and instead we, the ruling party, will ensure the constitutional changes before the 2020 elections which will ensure that any possible snap election before 2024 to be held with a mixed electoral system," Agenda.ge cited Mdinaradze as saying.

He noted that the parliament elected via snap elections between 2020 and 2024 will be eligible only before 2024 parliamentary elections, as starting from 2024 Georgia moves to a fully proportional electoral system, according to the Georgian constitution.

Mdinaradze added that if the ruling party fails to carry out the changes to the law, the majoritarian MPs will continue pushing forward their initiative and will demand a referendum, together with the 2020 elections, on the transition to a fully majoritarian elections.