Georgians propose parliament vote to elect president

A civil group in Georgia is planning to propose a petition for restricting presidential elections to the legislature, the Russian Vzglyad reported.

The head of the Group, Yago Tsiklauri has reportedly said that they will raise the question after collecting 200,000 signatures. The new system, according to him, would help rule out an authoritarian regime in the country.

The president’s functions are expected to decrease after the 2013 election, but the initiators of the referendum wish to elect a president through the parliament rather than direct polls.

“The president will have only symbolic functions,” Tsiklauri was quoted as saying.

In case the required number of signatures is collected, the president will be forced to abide by the legal requirement to launch a referendum. Otherwise, the organizers may turn to the Constitutional Court.