MP by-elections will be held in the Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency in Imereti region on April 28, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC). The by-elections will be held at 60 polling stations, with 48,054 registered voters. 

CEC Spokesperson Ana Mikeladze said today that the election campaign procedures, as well as the norms prohibiting the use of budgetary funds and official powers have been put in force. 

The majoritarian seat in the Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency became vacant after Grigol Liluashvili, a ruling party lawmaker, who chaired the Parliament’s committee for regional policy and self-governance, was appointed the deputy head of the State Security Service.

Gigi Ugulava, former Tbilisi mayor and secretary general of the opposition European Georgia party, is the only candidate to have announced his decision to run in the April parliamentary by-elections. 

Political parties, election blocs and initiative groups have to apply to CEC for registration no later than the 57th day before the Election Day.

In Georgia’s mixed electoral system, 77 seats in 150-member Parliament are allocated proportionally under the party-list contest among the parties and electoral blocs, which clear a 5% threshold in nationwide popular vote.

Rest of the 73 MPs are elected in 73 single-member districts, known as “majoritarian” mandates; a majoritarian MP candidate has to win over 50% of votes in order to gain an outright victory in the first round, otherwise a second round will be convened.

The 2020 parliamentary polls will be held under the mixed proportional-majoritarian system, while from 2024 the country will move to a fully proportional representation.