Lawmakers from the ruling party and parliamentary minority will hold consultations on timeframe of non-confidence vote before approving constitutional amendments with its third and final reading on October 12.

Echoing recommendation of the Venice Commission to make procedure and timeframe of non-confidence vote in the new constitution less complicated and shorter, lawmakers from the Christian-Democratic Movement called on the ruling party on October 11 to hold consultations to try agree on further reduction of the timeframe.

One of the issues, among others, on which the Venice Commission voiced criticism in its updated draft opinion on the constitutional amendments is related to the process of constructive non-confidence vote (a method when two-fifth of lawmakers pick a candidate for new PM’s post and vote the incumbent out and his successor), saying that it is “lengthy and complex”.

The process may take 50-60 days, or in case of the presidential veto on prime ministerial nominee, even 70-80 days.

This timeframe was even longer, but during the second reading on October 1, it was reduced by 20 days, which the Venice Commission said was “a positive development although an insufficient one.”

“The issues, which have been raised by the Christian Democratic Movement will be discussed and we will continue consultations to try to reach an agreement before tomorrow’s [parliamentary] session [when the draft will be discussed with the final reading],” Akaki Minashvili, a senior lawmaker from the ruling party told the Georgian public broadcaster on October 11, after a meeting of the parliamentary bureau.