Georgian PM says the country may have a coalition gov’t
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, June 26
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze says that after 2020 parliamentary elections the current Georgian Dream ruling party may have to form a coalition government –cooperate with other parties to form a government as none of the parties would be able to build the parliamentary majority.
Bakhtadze says that such a development is possible as the Georgian Dream accepted the conduct of the upcoming elections with the proportional system and said that there would be no election threshold.
Bakhtadze says that the offer, which comes after large-scale rallies in Tbilisi sparked by the appearance of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament, provides opportunities for all parties to appear in the 150-member legislative body.
He says that the parliament elected through proportional voting “will help the country’s democratic development,” with minor problems.
“The problem caused by the elections and the coalition government might be lingering of decision-making on important or urgent political and economic issues,” he said.
Bakhtadze said that if there is the need of the coalition government, the Georgian Dream “will no way” cooperate with the current opposition parties in parliament –the United National Movement, the European Georgia and the Alliance of Patriots.
He said that cooperation would be possible only with pro-European parties and those who will support the reforms to overcome occupation and poverty challenges.
The opposition says that the proportional elections are “a big achievement.” However, they say that the zero threshold must not push the opposition to divide, “which will benefit the ruling party.”
The Georgian constitution, approved by the Georgian Dream government in 2017, says that Georgia moves to the fully proportional elections from 2024, while the opposition was demanding the change from 2020.
Georgians took to the streets after Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov addressed the audience from the seat of Georgian parliamentary speaker on June 20, during the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, a forum held in Tbilisi.
The demonstrators say that Russian MPs, from the occupant country, must not have been allowed in the country, in the legislative body and the seat of the parliament speaker and Georgian lawmakers.
They demanded the resignation of Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze, Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia, snap parliamentary elections with proportional system and the release of more than 100 who were detained during June 20 rally in Tbilisi which was dispersed by law enforcers.
Kobakhidze resigned, and the proportional electoral system was accepted.
As of now, Georgia has a mixed electoral system with 77 seats in its 150-member parliament allocated proportionally under the party-list among parties or electoral blocs which clear a 5 percent threshold in the race.
The remaining 73 MPs are elected in 73 single-member districts, known as “majoritarian” mandates. A majoritarian MP candidate has to gain more than 50 percent of votes to take a seat in the legislative body.
