RECENT DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 001245 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM GG SUBJECT: RECENT DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS REF: TBILISI 925 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The parliamentary minority faction has nominated one of three vice-speaker positions in Parliament reserved for opposition lawmakers and has filled deputy chairmen positions on parliamentary committees. The Parliamentary Committee for Procedural Issues rejected the Labor Party's appeal to renounce their MP mandates on the grounds that the appeal was not written appropriately. Parliament has formally repealed twelve of the 31 opposition politicians MP mandates. End Summary. Opposition Receives Positions in Parliament -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The parliamentary minority, involving the newly established 12-member faction, "Strong Georgia - Christian Democrats", nominated MP Levan Vepkhvadze of the Christian-Democratic Movement (CDM) for the parliamentary vice-speaker position. Though the remaining two vice speaker positions are not expected to be filled, three vice speaker positions out of nine have been reserved for opposition lawmakers In addition, members of parliament's opposition faction have been given deputy chairman positions on the following parliamentary committees: -- Paata Davitaia, leader of On Our Own Party, Foreign Relations Committee -- Nika Laliashvili, CDM, Defense and Security Committee -- Dimitri Lortkipanidze, On Our Own Party, Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee -- Gia Tsagareishvili, non-aligned, Legal Issues Committee -- Roman Marsigashvili, former Republican Party member, Agrarian Committee -- Carlo Kopaliani, former Republican Party member, Economy Sector Committee -- Magda Anikashvili, CDM, Healthcare Committee -- Giorgi Akhvlediani, CDM, Education, Science, Culture Committee Ruling Party Welcomes Opposition Participation -------------- - ¶3. (SBU) Speaker of Parliament David Bakradze welcomed the creation of the opposition faction and stressed these structures would strengthen Parliament. Giorgi Targamadze, leader of the minority, said "this will be an active minority, who will form as a constructive, moderate opposition oriented on results." The ruling party has made the following steps in an effort to work with the opposition: -- Parliament adopted a draft law to include an opposition member in the Council of Justice. The opposition already decided that their representative in the Council of Justice will be another former member of the United Opposition, Gia Tsagareishvili. -- A constitutional amendment was initiated which would decrease the minimal number of MPs required to form a faction from seven to six. -- Parliament is working to compose a "group of trust" consisting of ruling party and opposition members considered to be reliable. The amendment envisages a group that would incorporate four members from the majority and two members from the opposition, allowing the opposition to participate more actively in Parliament Parliament Refuses to Cancel Labor Party Mandates -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Parliamentary Committee for Procedural Issues rejected the Labor Party's appeal to renounce their MP mandates on the grounds that it was not written appropriately. Four MPs from the Labor Party, including its leader Shalva Natelashvili, wrote in the official appeal that the Labor Party wanted to withdraw from the "headquarters of the ruling party." The Labor Party explained that it does not recognize Parliament as a legitimately elected body and would not refer to it as the Parliament of Georgia. ¶5. (SBU) As a result of the Labor Party's inability to renounce their MPs, Kakha Kukava of the Conservative Party and Giorgi Gugava of the Labor Party went head-to-head on a Kavkasia TV talk show on June 30. Gugava sidestepped a direct question about whether or not his party would make a repeat appeal to Parliament. Parliament has formally repealed twelve of the 31 opposition politicians MP mandates. Two of the Labor Party's six MPs have entered Parliament TBILISI 00001245 002 OF 002 while the other four, including Natelashvili, are not engaged in parliamentary activities. The Labor Party MPs are receiving salaries from Parliament though they claim they are not taking them. (Comment: Post understands that Natelashvili is still interested in taking his party's seats in Parliament. End Comment). TEFFT