Georgian constitutional referendum, 2003

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A constitutional referendum was held in Georgia on 2 November 2003 alongside parliamentary elections. The constitutional changes proposed would reduce the number of seats in the next Parliament of Georgia from 235 to 150.

Georgia (country) Country in the Caucasus region

Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital and largest city is Tbilisi. Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 square kilometres (26,911 sq mi), and its 2017 population is about 3.718 million. Georgia is a unitary semi-presidential republic, with the government elected through a representative democracy.

Parliament of Georgia parliament

The Parliament of Georgia the supreme national legislature of Georgia. It is a unicameral parliament, currently consisting of 150 members; of these, 77 are proportional representatives and 73 are elected through single-member district plurality system, representing their constituencies. According to the 2017 constitutional amendments, the Parliament will transfer to fully proportional representation in 2024.

Contents

With almost 90% voting in favour, [1] the changes were first implemented following the Georgian legislative election, 2008.

Background

Prior to the referendum, citizens groups had gathered 218,000 signatures on a petition calling for a reduction in the number of MPs, higher than the 200,000 required for a constitutional initiative. On 3 September 2003 President Eduard Shevardnadze signed a decree approving the referendum. [1]

Eduard Shevardnadze Georgian politician and diplomat

Eduard Ambrosiyevich Shevardnadze was a Georgian politician and diplomat. He served as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party (GPC), the de facto leader of Soviet Georgia from 1972 to 1985 and as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. Shevardnadze was responsible for many key decisions in Soviet foreign policy during the Gorbachev Era including reunification of Germany. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he was President of Georgia from 1992 to 2003. He was forced to retire in 2003 as a consequence of the bloodless Rose Revolution.

Results

Are you for or against the reduction in the number of Georgian parliamentarians to 150 members?
ChoiceVotes%
For1,590,30989.61
Against184,20910.39
Invalid/blank votes123,466
Total1,904,105100
Registered voters/turnout3,178,59363.89
Source: Direct Democracy

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