Opposition MPs to Set Up Parliamentary Faction

Consultations are underway between the opposition parliamentarians from the Republican and Conservative parties to officially set up a parliamentary faction.

The faction, which will be made up of 8 parliamentarians from the Conservative Party and six lawmakers from the Republican Party, is also expected to be joined by several other non-partisan MPs. MP Davit Zurabishvili, who has just recently quit the ruling National Movement party, has already announced his intentions of becoming a member of this new faction.

?The idea of setting up a faction aims at establishing a real alternative [to the government], which will have long-term purposes, including in respect of the local elections [scheduled in 2006],? MP Zurabishvili told Civil Georgia on October 15.

Zurabishvili is regarded as one of the possible nominees to chair the new opposition faction. MP Zurabishvili said that principle of rotational chairmanship can also be introduced.

Currently there are a total of four parliamentary factions in the Georgian legislative body, but only one ? the New Rights-Industrialists faction ? is composed of opposition MPs. Other factions are controlled by the ruling National Movement party.

Creation of this faction will grant a small group of the opposition parliamentarians, who are not currently united in a faction, certain political privileges in the Parliament, including the right to legislative initiatives; right to vote at the Parliament?s bureau (body which determines the parliamentary sessions? schedule), guaranteed seats in the committees, investigation commissions and parliamentary delegations.

?We will try to create such a model of a faction, wherein, along with the rules of team playing, the personal freedom of each member of the faction will be secured – that will make the faction attractive for other MPs as well,? MP Zurabishvili said.

Like MP Zurabishvili, other parliamentarians from the Republican and Conservative parties were once also allies of President Saakashvili, but quit the National Movement party last year.

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