1990 Georgian Supreme Soviet election explained

Country:Georgian SSR
Previous Election:1985
Next Election:1992
Seats For Election:All 250 seats in the Supreme Soviet
Majority Seats:126
Turnout:69.59%
Election Date:28 October 1990 (first round)
11 November 1990 (second round)
Nopercentage:yes
Leader1:Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Party1:Round Table—Free Georgia
Last Election1:new
Seats1:155
Leader2:Givi Gumbaridze
Party2:Communist Party of Georgia (Soviet Union)
Last Election2:250
Seats2:64
Leader3:Nodar Natadze
Party3:People's Front (Georgia)
Last Election3:new
Seats3:12
Party4:Democratic Georgia
Color4:
  1. 33A6FF
Last Election4:new
Seats4:4
Party5:LERB
Color5:
  1. FFCF01
Last Election5:new
Seats5:2
Leader6:Akaki Bakradze
Party6:Rustaveli Society
Color6:
  1. CCB691
Last Election6:new
Seats6:1
Leader7:
Party7:Independents
Last Election7:0
Seats7:9
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet
Before Election:Irakli Abashidze
Before Party:Communist Party of Georgia (Soviet Union)
After Election:Zviad Gamsakhurdia
After Party:Round Table—Free Georgia

Parliamentary elections were held in the Georgian SSR on 28 October 1990, with a second round on 11 November.[1] They were the first free parliamentary elections in Georgia since 1919 and saw Round Table-Free Georgia emerge as the largest party in Parliament with 155 of the 250 seats. Voter turnout was 70%.

Round Table-Free Georgia MP Zviad Gamsakhurdia was subsequently elected by the Congress as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council on 14 November, effectively becoming the leader of Georgia.

The elections were the first in the Soviet Union in which the opposition groups were registered as formal political parties.[2] On 9 April 1991, the newly-elected Georgian legislature issued a declaration of Georgian independence from the USSR.[3]

Electoral system

On 18 August 1991 a new electoral law was passed providing for the election of the legislature consisting of 250 members, 125 elected by proportional representation and 125 from single-member districts using the two-round system. The electoral threshold for the proportional seats was set at 4%. Political parties, trade unions and movements were allowed to nominate candidates.[4]

Notes and References

  1. [Dieter Nohlen]
  2. Web site: Georgia Votes for Change. Tampa Bay Times. 30 October 1990.
  3. Web site: Georgian Republic Declares Independence. Tampa Bay Times. 10 April 1991.
  4. Book: Irakli Iremadze. Electoral history of Georgia: 1990-2018. 2020. Central Electoral Commission of Georgia. Tbilisi, Georgia . 25 January 2024. 13–15.