Parliament to Discuss Draft Budget

(Tbilisi, January 17, 2003. Civil Georgia) – Georgian Parliamentary special session will discuss the 2003 draft budget today.

The government had to resubmit the draft to the Parliament for the second time after the MPs reject the document in late December.

116 MPs supported the draft, while the 118 votes were necessary to adopt the budget.

All the opposition Parliamentary factions voted against the draft, demanding from the government to increase expenditures in 2003.

In January government submitted to the Parliament a new draft with the minor changes. Opposition still refuses to support the draft.