The Parliament of Georgia will launch discussions on the proposed draft of constitutional amendments this week, Parliamentary Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze said on June 5.

He noted that following nationwide discussions, the constitution draft would be discussed at the committee hearings that would be followed by its consideration with the first hearing at the Parliament’s special plenary session.

The Parliamentary Chairman said that the lawmakers planned to launch discussions at the Parliament’s plenary sessions from June 12, but “the Venice Commission set its plenary session for June 16 and we decided to wait for the final opinion of the Venice Commission.”

Kobakhidze explained that the Parliament would discuss the draft constitution with its two hearings until late June, while the third hearing would be held during the Parliament’s autumn session.

The constitutional reform, championed by the ruling Georgian Dream and personally Speaker Kobakhidze has been launched in frames of the Constitutional Reform Commission in December 2016. The Commission`s work and the subsequent public discussions were marred by opposition claims that the ruling party aimed to craft a system that would solidify its hold on power. Proposed elections of the President through indirect, parliamentary vote and the proposed rule attributing wasted votes to the winner in the proportional parliamentary polls particularly criticized.