Controversial Majoritarian MP Election Rule Endorsed

Parliament passed with its first hearing a package of constitutional amendments, which, among other issues, also endorses a controversial rule on electing 75 majoritarian MPs.

The package, which was passed with 168 votes to 2, envisages scrapping system of electing majoritarian MPs through winner-takes-all rule and replacing it by the system wherein one majoritarian lawmaker will be elected in each of 75 constituencies.

In case of the proposals final approve with its second and third hearings, the system will increase number of majoritarian MPs in the new parliament from 50 – which is currently envisaged by the constitution – and the decrease of number of lawmakers elected through the proportional party-list system from 100 to 75.

The opposition lawmakers have condemned the endorsement of this system and some of them have even warned to resume protest rallies.

“There will be again street protest rallies and tents,” MP Kakha Kukava of the Conservative Party, part of the eight-party opposition coalition, told Civil.Ge after the proposal was passed with its first hearing. “No further negotiations will take place [with the ruling party].”

The opposition had wanted so-called ‘regional proportional lists.’ Initially, it seemed that this system had received the backing of the ruling party. In its February 14 memorandum issued in response to opposition demands, the party said: “If there is consensus between the political forces, the majoritarian election system will be replaced by the regional proportional system. Relevant draft constitutional amendments have already been initiated and assuming consensus, the amendments will be in force by the end of March.” 

The package of the constitutional amendment, which was passed with its first hearing, also envisages reduction of election threshold from the current 7% to 5%.

The initial draft of package also envisaged increase of parliament’s term of authority from the current four to five years. The authorities, however, yielding to the opposition’s protest decided to remove that proposal from the package.