17:00, 20 March 2013

In Georgia, opposition demands preferential voting on amendments to Constitution

The "United National Movement" has demanded to hold a preferential voting in order to identify the actual distribution of political forces. The members of the "Georgian Dream" were against the initiative.

Today, the Georgian Parliament has 147 MPs. The ruling coalition the "Georgian Dream" has 83 MPs; the oppositional "United National Movement" – 53 MPs. Six MPs have formed a faction called "Non-Party Majority MPs", and five MPs are out of factions. To amend the Constitution, the votes of 100 MPs are required.

"We'll support the constitutional amendments, if the ruling coalition "Georgian Dream" agrees to hold the preferential voting on this bill," David Bakradze, the leader of the parliamentary minority "United National Movement", said on March 20, the "Rustavi-2" reports.

"The preferential voting is needed, when the bill has an alternative; however, the draft amendments to the Constitution of Georgia have no other options, so we'll bring it right to debates and voting on March 21," said Zakariya Kutsnashvili, the leader of the "Georgian Dream".

Author: Inna Kukudzhanova

Source: CK correspondent