Georgia is introducing new rules for citizens living abroad. Now they will be able to participate in parliamentary and municipal elections only on the condition of returning to their homeland. This was stated by the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, at a special press conference.
In his opinion, Georgians outside the country face difficulties in making informed decisions due to their separation from their homeland. Papuashvili also noted that they may be subject to external influences. The new electoral code is expected to be adopted during the autumn session of Parliament.
According to current legislation, electoral districts were created in countries with a large Georgian diaspora before each election. Voting usually took place in embassies and consulates, where Georgian citizens could express their opinions. Typically, overseas voters tended to support opposition parties rather than the ruling party "Georgian Dream" (GD) of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The opposition party "United National Movement" (UNM), led by Mikheil Saakashvili, has already accused Papuashvili and GD of trying to deprive hundreds of thousands of Georgians living abroad of their voting rights, as they predominantly vote for the opposition. The next parliamentary elections in Georgia are scheduled for October 2028.
According to unofficial sources, about 160,000 Georgian citizens live in the Russian Federation, approximately 350,000 in European countries such as Greece, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany. Additionally, around 100,000 Georgians have immigrated to the USA. The total population of Georgia is approximately 3.9 million people.
