Burjanadze Denies Split with Ruling Party Leaders

Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze, who met with parliamentary majority leaders Maia Nadiradze and Giga Bokeria behind closed doors on May 23, denied speculations about a split within the leadership of the ruling National Movement party.  Burjanadze did, however, signal concerns that sometimes the parliamentarians from the ruling party are not ?attentive? enough regarding the position of the Chairperson.

Speculations about disagreements between Burjanadze and the ruling party leadership broke after the MPs neglected the Chairperson?s request to postpone discussions over a draft law which lifts a ban on selling state-owned farm land which is located within a 5-km area from the state borders.  
 
?A portion of the MPs failed to understand my request regarding the postponement of this issue. They should be more attentive towards such requests of the Parliamentary Chairperson,? Nino Burjanadze told reporters on May 23.

Giga Bokeria, an influential MP from the ruling party, also denied speculations about the split and said that Nino Burjanadze remains ?one of the political leaders? of the party.

?Nino Burjanadze really requested to postpone the discussion [of the issue over the sale of farm lands] and we looked her position over several times. But it was impossible to postpone consideration of this issue,? Giga Bokeria told reporters on May 23.

The Parliament approved this draft law, in its second hearing, at the session on May 20.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)