German Electoral System and Its implementation in Georgia

8 Dec, 2019

German Model of the Electoral system has become subject to acute discussions among Government, political parties, NGOs and civil activists.

Open Society Georgia Foundation supported the preparation of a comprehensive analysis of Georgian version of the German model and its implementation. The document was prepared by Doctor Besik Loladze, former Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Georgia.

In one of the chapters, the author overviews the compatibility of the model with the Constitution of Georgia and concludes that the Georgian version meets all the requirements set by the constitution:

1) 77 MPs elected through a proportional system;

2) 73 MPs elected through a majoritarian system;

3) The total number of MPs to be 150;

4)  Allocation of seats to the parties/electoral blocs, which manage to pass the 3% electoral threshold;

5) the election legislation defines the procedure of the allocation of seats.

If it is applied, the number of MPs will not exceed 150, out of which 77 MPs will be elected through a proportional system and 73 through a majoritarian system. Only the parties/electoral blocs that pass the 3% threshold will be allocated seats in result of a proportional election. The process for the allocation of seats will be defined by the legislator, who is not obstructed by the number of seats (mandates) specified in the Constitution from determining the fairest possible regulation. 

German Model of the Election system and its implementation in Georgia by OSGF on Scribd