Georgian opposition party proposes constitutional amendment changing to proportional electoral system ahead of 2020 elections

Over twenty opposition parties submitted more than 200 thousand citizens’ signatures to the parliament on June 13, calling for holding parliamentary elections through the proportional system starting from 2020, instead of 2024, as foreseen by the Constitution. The Constitution of Georgia says the Parliament will be elected through a proportional vote in 2024. The 2020 polls will be the last time the current, mixed electoral system will be used, where voters elect 73 MPs in majoritarian, single-seat constituencies, while the remaining 77 seats are distributed proportionally in the closed party-list contest. By law, a constitutional change can be initiated by no less than 200,000 citizens. Once the signatures are verified, the draft amendment to the Constitution is submitted to the Parliament, which publishes it for the public review and discussion. In one months time, the Parliament starts to debate the amendment, and may adopt it, if two-thirds of the elected members vote in favor.
Read the full article here: Eurasia Review