Georgia Schedules Parliamentary Elections

Georgia Schedules Parliamentary Elections

Elections for the 150 parliamentary mandates to be distributed according to the proportional-representation system will take place on 28 March, acting President Nino Burdjanadze told journalists on 9 January, according to independent television company Rustavi-2.

Burdjanadze said the new Georgian leadership initially planned to schedule the ballot for 7 March, but postponed it after consultations with various political forces. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Bruce George had proposed April or May as the most appropriate time frame.

Election-law expert Vakhtang Khmaladze pointed out at a press conference on 8 January that the Election Code does not provide for holding elections for the 150 seats distributed under the proportional system independently of the ballot for the 75 single-mandate constituencies, Caucasus Press reported. He called on Burdjanadze to ensure that the required changes are made to the Election Code.

The Georgian Supreme Court on 25 November annulled the outcome of the 2 November parliamentary elections under the proportional-representation system, but declared valid the vote in the single-mandate constituencies.

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Georgia Schedules Parliamentary Elections

As a side note, keep an eye on what is going on in Central Asia. With its large oil reserves, the US has been meddling in their affairs lately. There have been problems in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakistan, and other Central Asian countries. On top of that, the US has shown interest in militarizing the region. Kazakistan turned down the US recently to build an air force base in their country. However, Azerbaijan and Georgia might consider such a proposal.

Why are we militarizing the region? Isn't that why many Saudis, including Osama Bin Laden, got mad at the US? The US had military bases in Saudi Arabia? Is it to protect the oil reserves there?