Majority MP Withdrawn from Legal Issues Committee

The ruling Georgian Dream fraction has withdrawn their MP, Gedevan Popkhadze, from the Parliament’s Committee on Legal Issues.

“The fraction has decided to recall me from the Legal Issues Committee. I will not be a member of the Legal Issues Committee and it means that I cannot hold any position in the Committee. I do not plan to protest the decision of the fraction,” Popkhadze told reporters, then added he "did not like the action" of the ruling team.

Popkhadze was elected as a deputy chairman of the Legal Issues Committee last week, after acting chairperson of the Committee Eka Beselia submitted his candidacy for the position.

The MP said the main issue is the process of selection of the Supreme Court judges and not a chairman or a deputy chairman of Legal Issues Committee.

GD Faction Chair, Mamuka Mdinaradze stated the party Chair and founder Bidzina Ivanishvili shared the team’s decision over Popkhadze.

“Bidzina Ivanishvili had the right position to the will expressed by the decision of the ruling team, by which I mean the position that coincided with the opinion of the majority of the fraction members,” the MP said.

Mdinaraze added that Eka Beselia’s resignation from the post of a chairperson of the Legal Issues Committee has no connection with the list of the Supreme Court judges.

He also noted that Anri Okhanashvili, member of the parliamentary majority, is being considered for the post of the Chair of the Legal Issues Committee.

By Thea Morrison

Photo: 1TV