New Rights Stage a Walkout, Insist Education Minister Must Resign

Opposition MPs from the New Rights-Industrialists coalition walked out of the parliamentary session on March 22, after the Parliament failed to endorse a proposal over the launching of impeachment procedures against Education Minister Kakha Lomaia.

The Parliament rejected the impeachment proposal with an 80 to 21 vote.

The New Rights demanded Lomaia?s resignation because of his, as the opposition MPs from New Rights faction put it, ?negligent attitude? towards the protest by the would-be medical students.

Dozens of these potential medical students have even resorted to a hunger strike since March 17 in protest of the Georgian Education Ministry?s decision to abolish a privilege for the State Medical College students, which envisaged enrollment into the State Medical University without entrance exams for those students who completed three years of study at the State Medical College.

?We consider it immoral to further participate in the Parliament?s activities until the students cease their hunger strike and the tension in this regard is defused,? MP David Gamkrelidze, the leader of the New Rights said.

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