July 4, 2008
Nina Akhmeteli, Georgia Today

Even with the end of the spring session, the parliament’s work is not over. The ruling party referred to the new initiatives and amendments as a proof of their will to have constructive dialogue with the opposition.

The Christian Democrats and the small number of opposition MPs who decided to enter the parliament have already set up a parliamentary faction and nominated the vice-speakers and deputies of the parliamentary committees due to the recent amendments.

MP Levan Vepkhvadze from the Christian Democrats is expected to be the vice speaker from the opposition. Paata Davitaia, the leader of the party We Ourselves, is expected to be the second out of three vice-speakers of the opposition.

However, Davitaia probably will take the post in early autumn after the twelve-member opposition faction will be divided into two factions, due to amendments that will come into effect then that limit the number of members in a faction to six. Currently seven members are needed to establishing a faction.

Meanwhile, Davitaia is nominated for the post of deputy chairperson in the committee of foreign relations. Davitaia will also be a member of the commission on the restoration of territorial integrity.

The opposition also assigned members to the other deputy chairpersons posts. The legal issue committee will have MP Gia Tsagareishvili as a deputy chair, while Dmitry Lortkipanidze will become deputy chair of the committee for human rights and civil integration and a member of the committee on environmental protection.

Nika Laliashvili of the Christian Democrats is expected to become a deputy chairman of the committee for defense and security, Magda Anikashvili, a former popular anchor of Imedi TV and currently spokesperson of CDM is to become a deputy chairman of committee for healthcare and social issues. The deputy chair of the committee on education, science and culture and a member of the Diaspora Issues committee is expected to be Giorgi Akhvlediani, Carlo Kopaliani will be a member of the newly established committee on sports and youth issues as well as a deputy chair of the committee on regional policy, self governance and mountainous regions.

Roman Marsagishvili will become a deputy chair of the sector economy committee and a member of the agrarian issue committee.

While the opposition faction in the parliament will be headed by Gia Tortladze who is also the deputy chair of the committee on European integration, Giorgi Targamadze, the leader of the Christian Democrats will head the parliamentary minority.

The opposition will have two representatives in the so-called trustee board, who along with three deputies from the ruling party, will oversee defense spending. In the previous parliament, the candidacy of the opposition Davit Gamkrelidze, the leader of the New Rights Party, failed to occupy the post because the ruling party deputies did not support his candidacy.

It is not yet known who will hold the posts in the trustee group from the opposition but Jondi Baghaturia, who entered the parliament under the United Opposition but did not join the opposition faction, has already expressed his wish to hold one of the places in the trustee board.

The Amendment to Stop Financing the Opposition out the Parliament.

While the ruling party demonstrates its will to involve the opposition in the political process, the recent initiative of senior ruling party deputies will reduce the funding for the parties outside the parliament.

A group of MPs, headed by the chair of the legal committee, Pavle Kublashvili, initiated amendments which state that those who refused their parliamentary posts will not be allowed any state funding.

According to the current legislation, the political parties that passed the 4% threshold during the parliamentary elections or the 3% threshold during the local elections receive state funding. If the aforementioned amendments are implemented, the parties whose members were elected through the proportional lists but refused their seats in the parliament will not continue to receive any funds from the state budget.

According to Mikheil Machavariani, the first deputy chair of the parliament, the amendment does not involve the parties which passed 3% threshold during the local governmental elections.

This means that the majority of opposition parties in the United Opposition, including New Rights, will be left without funding.

The opposition has already lashed out at the ruling party for the initiative. Mamuka Katsitadze from New Rights said that the authorities are trying to close down all “arteries” for the opposition.

Criticism was also voiced by the Labour Party. Giorgi Gugava warned that the “attempt to set up a one-party dictatorship in Georgia” will be met with acts outwith constitutional frames.

The opposition within the parliament also opposed the initiative. Giorgi Targamadze said that the “discriminative amendments” will lead to the radicalization of the opposition. The Christian Democrats are going to voice their concerns over this initiative in the parliament.