The Georgian Dream MPs, who assumed their positions in the 11th parliament in violation of the constitution, adopted a resolution to schedule the next presidential elections in Georgia. The elections are set for December 14, with the inauguration planned for December 29.
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As per the Constitution, the President is elected for a term of five years. In 2017, during the constitutional reform process, the procedure for electing the President was changed: the President is now elected by a 300-member electoral college. The transitional provisions stipulated that the President elected in 2018 would serve a six-year term. This adjustment was made to align with the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2024, ensuring that the newly elected parliament would contribute to forming part of the college. The incumbent President was sworn in on December 16, 2018, and their six-year term will expire on December 16, 2024.
Additionally, under the Constitution, if the presidential elections coincide with the parliamentary elections, the presidential elections must be held within a maximum of 45 days. The elections and the inauguration must occur this year so that the newly elected President serves a five-year term. If the elections were postponed to 2025, the next elections would need to be held in October 2030, effectively resulting in a President serving a six-year term, which contradicts the spirit of the Constitution, according to Shalva Papuashvili, chairman of the illegitimate parliament.
The 300-member electoral college includes all members of the highest representative bodies of the Parliament and the autonomous republics of Abkhazia and Adjara. Other members of the electoral college are nominated by relevant political parties from local self-government representative bodies, based on quotas determined by the Central Election Commission (CEC) in accordance with organic law.
“Of these 300 members, 150 are members of Parliament, 21 are members of the Supreme Council of Adjara, and 20 are members of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia. The remaining 109 members will be selected from the members of Sakrebulos, proportional to the results of the 2021 elections,” Papuashvili noted.
No fewer than 30 electoral college members are required to nominate a presidential candidate. Each member of the electoral college may support the nomination of only one candidate. A candidate is considered elected if they secure the support of two-thirds of the full composition of the college. Otherwise, a second round will be scheduled, which, according to Papuashvili, will take place on the same day if necessary.
“In accordance with the same legislative provisions, the inauguration will take place in the third week following the elections. This means the presidential inauguration will be held on December 29, 2024,” Papuashvili stated.
The Georgian Dream party convened the first session of the 11th Parliament on November 25, recognizing the authority of all 150 members, and elected the chairman, deputy chairmen, and committee heads. According to the Constitution, the President is responsible for convening the first session of a newly elected Parliament. However, Salome Zurabishvili did not do so, as she contested the parliamentary election results and, consequently, the legitimacy of all 150 members in the Constitutional Court. Constitutional experts argue that Parliament had no authority to recognize the legitimacy of individuals whose election was under legal challenge in the Constitutional Court. Accordingly, they assert that the Parliament’s decisions are unlawful.
