The ruling Georgian Dream Democratic Georgia (GDDG) offers opposition parties to resume discussions on constitutional amendments, MP Archil Talakvadze, leader of the Georgian Dream parliamentary majority said at a news briefing on August 15. 

“Our team is ready to use the time remaining before the autumn session for a political dialogue. So, we offer all qualified opposition parties to meet this week and resume discussions on constitutional amendments,” Talakvadze said without elaborating details.

“It is important to discuss all major issues of the constitutional reform before the meeting in Strasbourg,” Talakvadze added referring to the meeting organized by the Venice Commission in Strasbourg on September 6.

The two parliamentary opposition parties - United National Movement and European Georgia - immediately responded to the ruling party’s proposal.

“We are actually ready to find a solution because the constitution belongs to everyone; it is not a partisan document that can be tailored to only one party,” UNM’s Nika Rurua said, but added that the party would participate only if the ruling party refuses to abolish direct presidential elections and returns to the discussion of those draft constitutional amendments, which envisaged movement to the proportional system in 2020.

“European Georgia is ready to participate in consultations. We have been constructively participating in the discussions since the very beginning. But there are main issues on which dialogue should be held – I mean, proportional election system, undistributed votes and presidential elections. We are ready to discuss these issues constructively with other political parties,” Sergi Kapanadze of European Georgia said.  

The Parliament of Georgia adopted the constitutional amendments with its second reading on June 23. The third and the final hearing will be held in autumn 2017.

The opposition slams the ruling party for its decision to postpone the introduction of proportional electoral system to 2024, as well as the decision to ban the creation of political party blocs ahead of elections.