At first, Ivanishvili's regime falsified parliamentary elections, then refused to hold fair re-elections and dispersed a protest rally with water cannons. Now, it has stripped Georgians of the right to elect their president directly. The Georgian Parliament, which most experts consider illegitimate, has approved a new electoral system through an electoral college. The country has shifted from a democratic system to a dictatorship.

The Georgian Parliament decided to schedule the presidential elections for December 14. The ruling party "Georgian Dream" approved the decision with 80 votes in favor during a session on November 26. The current president, Salome Zourabichvili, who considers the parliamentary elections falsified, will see her term end on December 16.

"For the first time, our presidential elections will not be held through direct voting but by an electoral college composed of members of parliament, representatives of the Supreme Councils of Adjara and Abkhazia, as well as local administrations," stated Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili during the session.

The electoral college will consist of 300 members: 150 members of parliament, 20 representatives from the Supreme Council of Abkhazia, 21 representatives from the Supreme Council of Adjara, and 109 delegates from local self-governing bodies. Sixty-one opposition MPs are likely to abstain from voting, as opposition parties do not recognize the legitimacy of the current Georgian Parliament.

To win in the first round, a candidate must secure at least two-thirds of the votes. If a second round is required, it will also be held on December 14. The inauguration of the new president is scheduled for December 29, with a five-year term in office.

Source: dw.com