Tbilisi protesters set up tents in city centerNovember 15, 2019 - 12:02 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets to protest the parliament’s decision to not hold the 2020 elections with a proportional system (on party lists). Had the bill passed, the majoritarian system, which traditionally has given the ruling party a significant advantage, would have been abolished, Jam News reports. Their main requirement is early parliamentary elections. Tents have been set up on Rustaveli Avenue in downtown Tbilisi. The transition to a proportional system was one of the main requirements of protests in the summer. On June 24, after two days of rallies, the leader of the Georgian Dream Bidzina Ivanishvili made a public statement agreeing to fulfill the demand. He said that Georgian Dream would agree to a proportional system and would present such a bill to parliament. However, when the issue was put to a vote in parliament, many lawmakers from the party did not vote for the changes initiated by the Georgian Dream. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. |