Georgia's 2016 Parliamentary Election: One Year Later

Abstract

This article reviews the results of Georgia’s 2016 parliamentary elections and assesses the post-electoral political development, focusing on the constitutional reform process and the dramatic changes in the opposition spectrum that followed the polls. The article concludes that despite the overall democratic conduct of parliamentary elections one year ago, the political implications in the aftermath have been worrisome. The ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party solidified its presence in the Parliament, while the liberal opposition spectrum has become fragmented and further weakened, losing its leverage for influencing everyday political decisions. The ruling party has also embarked on an ambitious and single-handed journey to transform the country’s constitution, including pushing through the widely denounced abolition of direct presidential elections and postponing its earlier plans to transition into a fully proportional parliamentary representation in 2020.