Vote on Majoritarian MP Rule Postponed
Parliament postponed on March 19 a vote at the second hearing into amendments to the election code envisaging electing one majoritarian MP in each of the 75 single-mandate constituencies – an issue at the heart of much recent contention between the opposition and the authorities.
“Today they [the opposition] asked us to delay voting on this issue. So, we are expecting proposals from them,” Mikheil Machavariani, the vice-speaker of Parliament, said. He did not specify which opposition party had asked for the delay. He said the vote would take place on Friday.
Earlier on the same day the ruling party made it clear that it was against an opposition Republican Party proposal on the election of 75 majoritarian MPs in multi-mandate constituencies, instead of single-mandate constituencies.
Parliament on March 19, however, endorsed other amendments to the election code on the second hearing. The amendments propose an increase in the number of district election commission (DEC) members from the current five to 13, with six to be appointed by opposition parties. Currently all five members in each of the 75 district election commissions are certified election officials. Nominally they are independent of any party, but in fact are ruling party nominees. The DECs will also have increased powers, with the right to tabulate votes cast in the precincts and the right to cancel election results at given polling stations. DECs were denied these rights during the January 5 presidential election.
The proposed draft amendments also call for the abolition of additional voter lists and the accompanying practice of voter registration on polling day. Election observers and other election stake-holders will also have the right to immediately access CCTV polling station footage. They will, however, have to indicate a concrete time for an alleged violation and will only be given access to that particular portion of footage.
