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Parliament has formally repealed twelve of the 31 opposition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).



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