TBILISI, Georgia — A Georgian commission has published a draft of a new constitution that would substantially limit the powers of the next president, due to take power in 2013 when Mikheil Saakashvili is obliged to step down after serving two terms.

Several opposition parties oppose the draft, saying it will allow Saakashvili to become a powerful prime minister.

The Independent Constitutional Commission, made up of lawmakers and legal experts, adopted the draft Monday following a year of discussions.

After a period set aside for public discussion, the draft will be submitted to the president and the parliament for approval. Saakashvili controls a two-thirds majority in the parliament, which is needed to pass a new constitution.

"According to the current constitution, Georgia is a super-presidential republic. There is no president in any European country with such wide powers," said commission member Tengiz Sharmanashvili.

He said the proposed new constitution was "a more balanced mix" between a presidential and parliamentary republic and predicted that it could come into force within months.

Saakashvili, who led the peaceful Rose Revolution in 2003, introduced amendments to the constitution in 2004 to boost the powers of the presidency.

The proposed changes would deprive the president of the right to select candidates for prime minister and to fire up to one-third of the Cabinet without parliamentary approval, Sharmanashvili said.

It would also simplify the procedure for impeaching a president and would grant local councils more independence from the government and the president.

Some opposition parties are against the adoption of a new constitution by the parliament elected in May 2008, where Saakashvili's supporters dominate.

"Substantial change of the constitution should be done by a parliament elected in a fair environment that has high support from voters," 10 opposition parties said in a statement.

The opposition accuses Saakashvili of monopolizing power, marginalizing the opposition and manipulating the media.

Western support for Saakashvili has waned over his record on democracy and the war with Russia in August 2008, when an assault by Georgia's U.S.-trained military on the rebel region of South Ossetia triggered a crushing Russian counterstrike.

Saakashvili says he has created a model democracy, a rarity in a region dominated by rigged polls and long-serving authoritarian leaders.

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