President’s Administration: We Were Not Consulted on Constitutional Commission Format

TBILISI – Head of the Presidential Administration of Georgia, Giorgi Abashishvili says no consultations were held with them over the Constitutional Commission format which will elaborate the package of constitutional amendments till April 30, 2017.

“Some high-rank officials made statements that the format of the commission was agreed with the President’s Administration after consultations. This is not true, we only received a formal note about the commission format,” said Abashvishvili.

Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze said on December 9 that a draft resolution had been initiated in parliament on setting up the Constitutional Commission, which would involve representatives from the President’s and Government’s offices, judiciary, parliamentary and non-parliamentary parties, civil society organizations and experts.

Kobakhidze said he would chair the Commission and promised the draft amendments would be discussed with foreign experts before the proposed changes are voted on by lawmakers in the legislative body. He said the new Commission would begin working by the end of December.

Before announcing the format of the Constitutional Commission, President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, initiated the creation of this type of Commission to be co-chaired by the President, Prime Minister and Parliament Speaker. 

However, according to the Head of the President’s Administration, this format was not accepted and it was decided that the new commission would be similar to the previous one, launched in 2013 which “did not work.”

Abashishvili said the format offered by the President would be more reliable.

“As the President is the guarantor of the Constitution and at the same time is not a member of any political party, the format offered by him would have higher credibility and legitimacy. There are signs that we are heading towards a one-party constitutional commission,” he noted.

Abashishvili said the President’s Administration has yet to decide whether to participate in the work of the commission or not.

The amendments elaborated by the new Constitutional Commission must gain at least 113 votes from the 150-member Parliament to be approved and introduced as law.

BY Thea Morrison