PM Meets Non-Parliamentary Opposition Parties

PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili met on January 25 representatives from about dozen of non-parliamentary opposition parties to discuss electoral issues ahead of the parliamentary elections in October.

Among the issues raised by a group of non-parliamentary opposition parties, which sought in vain a meeting with previous PM, was scrapping of majoritarian component of electoral system for 2016 parliamentary elections.
 
“The PM stated that the [ruling GD] will discuss negative and positive sides of this issue and the decision will be made collectively within [GD] team,” PM’s office said.

The announcement reopens the issue, which seemed already closed for the GD parliamentary majority group, which has rejected for multiple times already opposition parties’ proposal to scrap the majoritarian component of the electoral system by 2016 elections; it agrees to do so for post-2016 elections. In December the Parliament passed GD-proposed bill on electoral redistricting, which aimed at on the one hand maintaining majoritarian component of the electoral system for 2016 elections and on the other at addressing the long-standing issue of huge disparity in size of single-mandate constituencies.

A senior lawmaker from the GD coalition Giorgi Volski, who chairs the largest faction with the parliamentary majority group, reiterated on January 25 that there will be no change in the system for this year’s elections.

“The [existing] system, which we have already agreed is the right one,” MP Volski said in remarks made after a meeting between PM Kvirikashvili and non-parliamentary opposition parties, signaling that the GD has no intention to change its position over the issue.

In opening remarks at the meeting PM Kvirikashvili told non-parliamentary opposition representatives that he was ready to provide for “much higher level of engagement”. 

“We want to establish high culture of relations – it is especially important during the pre-election period, and to demonstrate to our international partners that we are capable of having a civilized conversation with each other and of listening to each other and of holding really exemplary elections. It is especially significant as we are now in a very important process of association with the EU,” the PM said.

“Some issues may be taken into considerations and others not, but the important is to switch from confrontational mode to conversation mode,” he said, adding that the government is “ready to listen to your proposals and discuss arguments you have and arguments that we have.”

Representatives of the non-parliamentary opposition parties welcomed “business-like meeting” with the PM.

“On change of electoral system the Prime Minister has unequivocally stated that this issue will again be raised for discussion within the ruling [GD] coalition; second – a format will be established where all the election-related issues will be discussed, ranging from electoral system to other issues,” Mamuka Katsitadze of the New Rights Party said after the meeting.
 
Bachuki Kardava of the National-Democratic Party said that the meeting gave him a reason to think that there still is a “certain chance” that 2016 elections will be held under a system that is “based on consensus” of political parties.

“But it depends whether the PM manages to push the issue within the ruling coalition,” Kardava said.

“We will receive PM’s response on the electoral system in coming days after he consults with [GD] team,” Giorgi Akhvlediani of the Democratic Movement, party led by Nino Burjanadze, said, adding that other electoral issues have also been discussed. “A significant step towards improving electoral environment was made today at the level of verbal commitment; let’s see how it will be translated into practice.”

PM Kvirikashvili told non-parliamentary opposition parties that the government drafted a bill that would ban setting up of special polling stations at military units. But election monitoring groups say that banning of special polling station still fails to address problem related to rule regulating how military service members’ cast ballot in local elections and majoritarian MP elections.