The Parliament of Georgia has approved, in an expedited third reading, amendments to the Local Self-Government Code with 82 votes in favor. The changes concern the rules for forming factions within municipal councils, the Parliament reported.

The draft amendment was presented to lawmakers by Irakli Kadagishvili, Chairman of the Committee on Regional Policy and Self-Government.

Under the new regulation, until the authority of municipal councils elected in the 2029 elections is recognized, a council member elected under a political party’s nomination may establish a new faction. This applies if the member was nominated as a non-partisan candidate by a political party or if they leave their original party and join another.