President Zurabishvili Rejects Changes to Election Law
President Salome Zurabishvili has vetoed the amendments to the Election Code that were passed by the Parliament on February 28, 2024. The amendments aimed to change the electoral system from a mixed proportional-majoritarian system to a fully proportional system, as well as to lower the electoral threshold from 5% to 3% and to abolish the so-called “bonus seats” for the party that wins the most votes.
The President said that she vetoed the amendments because they were not in line with the constitutional order and the principles of democracy. She also said that the amendments were not based on a broad consensus among the political parties and the public, and that they would create instability and uncertainty in the country.
The President’s veto was supported by the opposition parties, which claimed that the amendments were a result of a “secret deal” between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the European Georgia party, which broke away from the United National Movement (UNM) in 2017. The opposition parties argued that the amendments would benefit the European Georgia party, which is close to the former president Mikheil Saakashvili, and that they would undermine the chances of other opposition parties to enter the Parliament.
Parliament to Override President’s Veto
The ruling Georgian Dream party, which holds a constitutional majority in the Parliament, said that it would override the President’s veto and enact the amendments to the Election Code. The party said that the amendments were a result of a “historic compromise” that was reached after months of negotiations with the European Georgia party and other political forces. The party said that the amendments would ensure a fair and proportional representation of the political spectrum in the Parliament, and that they would fulfill the demands of the protesters who took to the streets in June 2023.
The European Georgia party, which initiated the amendments, also said that it would vote to override the President’s veto. The party said that the amendments were a step towards a more democratic and European Georgia, and that they would end the dominance of the Georgian Dream party and the UNM, which have alternated in power since 2012. The party said that the amendments would create more opportunities for new and diverse political parties to emerge and compete in the elections.
Implications for the 2024 Parliamentary Elections
The amendments to the Election Code, if enacted, would have a significant impact on the 2024 parliamentary elections, which are scheduled for October. According to the current polls, the Georgian Dream party is still the most popular party in the country, with about 40% of the support, followed by the UNM, with about 20%. The European Georgia party is the third most popular party, with about 10%, while the other opposition parties have less than 5% each.
Under the current mixed electoral system, the Georgian Dream party would likely win a majority of the seats in the Parliament, as it did in the 2016 and 2020 elections. However, under the proposed proportional system, the Georgian Dream party would need to form a coalition with other parties to form a government, as no party would be able to win more than half of the seats. The European Georgia party would likely be the kingmaker, as it could ally with either the Georgian Dream party or the UNM, depending on the conditions and the agenda.
The opposition parties, especially the UNM, have accused the European Georgia party of betraying the opposition and siding with the Georgian Dream party, which they consider to be a puppet of the Russian influence. They have also vowed to continue their protests and boycott the 2024 elections, unless the amendments are withdrawn and the electoral system is changed to a fully majoritarian system, which they claim would give them a better chance to defeat the Georgian Dream party.
