June 20, 2008
Civil Georgia

The parliament has renounced the MP mandates of eleven lawmakers elected on the opposition coalition’s joint ticket on June 20.

These lawmakers are: Levan Gachechiladze; Davit Gamkrelidze, leader of New Rights Party; Konstantine Gamsakhurdia – leader of the Freedom party; Zviad Dzidziguri – Conservative Party; Koba Davitashvili – leader of Party of People; Eka Beselia– Movement for United Georgia; Gubaz Sanikidze – National Forum; Giorgi Khaindrava – individual member of the bloc; Pikria Chikhradze – New Rights Party; Davit Saganelidze – New Rights Party; Mamuka Katsitadze – New Rights Party.

All of them made an official appeal on June 13 to the parliamentary chairman to renounce their MP mandates.

One more lawmaker from the New Rights party, Irakli Iashvili, who is currently out of the country, plans to make the appeal upon his return.

Five more MPs elected on the coalition joint ticket have refused to do the same. Out of them only Jondi Bagaturia, leader of the Georgian Troupe, attended the parliament’s session on June 18. Other four lawmakers – non-partisan Gia Tortladze and Gia Tsagareishvili; Paata Davitaia, leader of On Our Own party and Dimitri Lortkipanidze, former member of Georgia’s Way party, who quitted the bloc after the elections - continue boycotting the parliament.

Parliamentary Chairman Davit Bakradze reiterated at a session on June 20 that he was ready for a dialogue with those opposition lawmakers, who entered the parliament, as well as with those, who “chose a radical way of quitting the parliament.”

“It is very regretful that a part of our colleagues has chosen the way of neglecting the interests of their voters,” Bakradze said.

Next week the parliament will discuss the appeals of four lawmakers from the Labor Party, including its leader Shalva Natelashvili, on renouncing their MP mandates.

A total of six candidates have been endorsed in the new parliament on the Labor Party’s ticket. Two of them – formally not Labor Party members - Nugzar Ergemlidze and Ramaz Tedoradze have already entered Parliament, triggering Labor Party leadership criticism.