GD Proposes Bill Allowing PM to Run for MP Without Quitting Cabinet Post

Georgian Dream parliamentary majority group has proposed a legislative amendment that would allow Prime Minister to run for a seat in the Parliament in upcoming elections without quitting the cabinet post.
 
Under the existing legislation, the PM and other members of the cabinet have to resign in case of running for parliament.

The draft amendment to the election code, sponsored by three lawmakers from the Conservative, Republican and Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) parties, proposes to exclude PM from the list of those office holders, who are required to resign next day after being registered as an MP candidate. 

The proposal indicates that PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili is likely to lead GDDG’s party list of MP candidates.

“I confirm that we want Mr. Kvirikashvili to be number one on our party list [of MP candidates] and we want to introduce a legislative amendments that will allow the PM to be on the party list,” a senior lawmaker from GDDG party, Gia Volski, said. 
 
GDDG, which will run in the October 2016 parliamentary elections separately and not under the joint ticket with other parties from the Georgian Dream coalition, reiterated on Monday that PM Kvirikashvili will be the only candidate for party chairmanship at a congress, which will be held on May 14; initially GDDG’s congress was scheduled for April, but was postponed for next month.

GDDG also said in a statement on Monday that “new political council”, party’s main governing body, will also be elected at the congress.

An explanatory note attached to the proposed bill says that it would not contribute to “stability” if the PM, and consequently the entire cabinet, will have to be replaced shortly before the elections if head of the government decides to run for parliament.

Lawmakers from the opposition UNM party criticized the proposed bill as GD’s attempt to tailor legislation to its political goals.

According to the existing legislation, along with PM and other cabinet members, the list of officials required to step down in case of running for parliament includes: President and his advisors; cabinet members of autonomous republics; members of the board of central bank; head of the state audit agency and his deputies; provincial governors and their deputies; chairpersons of local councils (Sakrebulo); heads (gamgebeli) of local municipalities, mayors; judges; member of the High Council of Justice; Public Defender and his deputies; military and police officers, as well as officers serving in the State Security Service, Intelligence Service and Special State Protection Service; prosecutors and their deputies, assistants and investigators; head and deputies of public service bureau; members of Georgian National Communications Commission and  Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission.