Special Statement of NGOs

The package of constitutional amendments thrown out by the Parliament of Georgia today, which was meant to hold the next parliamentary elections in a proportional system, could prove critical for the country's democratic development. Transition to a proportional electoral system was not just the promise of any politician or the whim of a small group of people. It was the demand of the whole society, supported by virtually all political parties and public groups.

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the ruling party and informal ruler of the country, is fully responsible for this decision, who in order to maintain his power and seize the state, seems ready to deprive the electorate of its ability to participate in running the country through an unfair electoral system and grab the parliamentary mandates.

It was clear to the authorities that the decision would cause massive public anxiety, and we have reason to suppose that in recent days it was itself contributing emerging of the anxiety itself, which may have been due wish of conducting of the extraordinary election by old election system and thus to maintain the power.

We call on Bidzina Ivanishvili and "Georgian Dream" to realize the severe political crisis that has engulfed the country and to take all the political measures to overcome it, the only and alternative way for parliament is to adopt a fully proportional electoral system immediately.

Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI)

International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED)

Institute for Democracy and Safe Development (IDSD)

Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF)

Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) 

Partnership for Human Rights (PHR)

Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) 

Georgia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS) 

Society and Banks

Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA)

Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI)

Human Rights Center (HRC)

Georgian Institute of Politics

World Experience for Georgia (WEG)

Management System Development Center (MSDC)

Georgian Media-Club

Atlantic Council of Georgia