The resolution "On the Appointment of the Next Presidential Elections in Georgia" was passed with 80 votes from the ruling party "Georgian Dream." Other political movements that made it to parliament claim the elections on October 26 were fraudulent and boycotted the meeting.
The Chairman of the new parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, reminded that, according to the amended constitution of 2017, the president will not be elected by all citizens of the country but by an electoral commission consisting of 300 members. Of these, 150 are current members of parliament, 21 from the Supreme Council of Adjara, 20 members from the Supreme Council of Abkhazia, and the remaining 109 members will be selected from city council members.
According to Papuashvili, to elect a candidate, the commission, which will convene on December 14, must give him 2/3 of the votes. If the candidate fails to achieve this, a second round will be held on the same day.
The transitional provision of the constitution stipulated that the president elected in 2018 would receive a mandate for 6 years. Accordingly, the powers of the current head of state, Salome Zourabichvili, will expire on December 16.
The inauguration of the new president of Georgia will take place on December 29.
Zourabichvili addressed the nation on November 25, and her address was broadcast on Facebook. According to her, there is no parliament in the country, and she promised to prepare for new elections.
Zourabichvili announced a visit to European Union countries during the remaining time of her term.
"And when I return, I will be here, and together we will prepare for the next elections," she added.