Irakli Kobakhidze: 116 MPs expressed their support to the new Constitutional law

“116 MPs support the document and hence, we offered initiation of this document to Venice Commission and promised to adopt the document envisaging withdrawal of the bonus system from the Constitution and maintenance of the blocs in single manner”, - the Speaker stated. 

Initiation of the Constitutional changes will be possible on the end of October and the III reading is scheduled for March. “We have held the consultations within the ruling party, including with 116 MPs who supported the document. Hence, we offered initiation of this document to Venice Commission and promised to adopt the document envisaging withdrawal of the bonus system from the Constitution and maintenance of the blocs in single manner. Initiation is legally possible after final promulgation of the document. Correspondingly, after the veto we believe that initiation will be possible in the end of October, allowing us adopting the document in December – the last session week with two readings and in March, the document will be adopted with the last reading. Correspondingly, the document will be finalized in March”.

The Speaker noted that the President and the opposition are put into the deadlock. “Bonus was provided in the draft under the conditions when we were discussing enactment of the proportional system in 2020. The proportional system provides significant risks in terms of stability and the bonus system served for balancing the risks. This is why we provided the bonus in the document developed by the State Constitutional Commission. Nothing was put into the deadlock but the opposition including the President and so-called 20 political parties. It is the deadlock. As to the Parliament, tomorrow we will adopt the draft with the III reading and no commends shall be made about the deadlock. Deadlock is the state of the opposition and the President”.

Bonus system shall be enacted in case of application of the proportional system in 2020. “We believe that under the conditions when the proportional system should be enacted in 2020 and we have had the respective political will within the ruling party leadership, it was not only expedient but necessary to enact the bonuses because we could not put the country to face destabilization risks. So, bonus system was a necessary element for enactment of the proportional system in 2020”.