Ruling party head: Venice Commission also makes mistakes

Ruling party head: Venice Commission also makes mistakes

The head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that the stipulation on the election rule of the country’s prosecutor general by ⅗ of MPs, which was written in the April 19 EU-mediated agreement and was recommended by Council of Europe Venice Commission, ‘is absurd.’ 

 

He said that he was well-aware of the ‘absurd’ when the GD signed the EU-mediated agreement. However, the party took the step to resolve the several-month political crisis in the country which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections. 

 

Along with the election issue of the country’s prosecutor general, the constitutional changes, which are being discussed in the state legislature, concern the conduct of following two parliamentary elections with a two percent election threshold and in a fully proportional electoral system. 

 

If the 3/5th of the MPs fail to agree over the prosecutor general twice, the parliamentary majority will elect him. 

 

However, the prosecutor general elected by the parliamentary majority will stay in office for one year instead of six. 

 

Kobakhidze says that the prosecutor general must be elected by the parliamentary majority, at least 76 MPs in the 150-member parliament, like in most European countries. 

 

The approval of the constitutional changes need the support of at least 113 MPs. 

 

GD says that the acceptance of the constitutional changes ‘is its goodwill’ because it has already backed out of the EU-mediated agreement. 

 

“It points at our commitment to the EU-mediated agreement despite the fact we left it,” Kobakhidze said. 

 

He reiterated that no early parliamentary elections will take place in the country as the opposition wants it.

 





The head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that the stipulation on the election rule of the country’s prosecutor general by ⅗ of MPs, which was written in the April 19 EU-mediated agreement and was recommended by Council of Europe Venice Commission, ‘is absurd.’ 

 

He said that he was well-aware of the ‘absurd’ when the GD signed the EU-mediated agreement. However, the party took the step to resolve the several-month political crisis in the country which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections. 

 

Along with the election issue of the country’s prosecutor general, the constitutional changes, which are being discussed in the state legislature, concern the conduct of following two parliamentary elections with a two percent election threshold and in a fully proportional electoral system. 

 

If the 3/5th of the MPs fail to agree over the prosecutor general twice, the parliamentary majority will elect him. 

 

However, the prosecutor general elected by the parliamentary majority will stay in office for one year instead of six. 

 

Kobakhidze says that the prosecutor general must be elected by the parliamentary majority, at least 76 MPs in the 150-member parliament, like in most European countries. 

 

The approval of the constitutional changes need the support of at least 113 MPs. 

 

GD says that the acceptance of the constitutional changes ‘is its goodwill’ because it has already backed out of the EU-mediated agreement. 

 

“It points at our commitment to the EU-mediated agreement despite the fact we left it,” Kobakhidze said. 

 

He reiterated that no early parliamentary elections will take place in the country as the opposition wants it.