Opposition Offered Posts in Exchange for Abandoning Boycott

Davit Kikitadze, an influential parliamentarian from the ruling National Movement party, said on May 23 that he will resign from the position of Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Security and offer this position to the opposition lawmakers if they abandon their boycott of the parliamentary sessions.

MP Kirkitadze said at the parliamentary session that the parliamentary majority will support the nomination of the opposition factions for his position.

Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said on May 23 that the parliamentary majority wants to hold a “constructive dialogue” with the opposition and is ready to give a seat to the opposition lawmakers in the so called “Group of confidence.” This group, which currently consists of four parliamentarians from the ruling National Movement party, is in charge of monitoring the government”s spending related to top secret projects, mainly in the defense sphere.

But MP Pikria Chikhradze of the opposition New Rights party denounced the parliamentary majority”s offer as “inadequate.”

“The parliamentary majority should not think that we will exchange the principles outlined in our demands for parliamentary positions,” MP Chikhradze told Imedi television on May 23.

Industrialist and Democratic Front parliamentary factions have also rejected the parliamentary majority”s offer as “unserious.”

Thirty-nine opposition lawmakers launched a boycott on March 31 after the parliamentary majority stripped Valery Gelashvili, of the Republican Party, of his MP credentials. On April 7, the New Rights, Industrialists and Democratic Front (uniting Republican and Conservative parties) parliamentary factions put forth an ultimatum that the boycott will last until their demands are met by the authorities.

The major demands by the opposition involve the resignation of Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, direct elections of city mayors and regional governors, and the reform of the election system – including the creation of new election administrations and transparent and accurate voter lists. The Industrialist parliamentary faction added a demand to improve the business climate and the tax code. In a recent statement made by the Democratic Front faction on May 16, the demand for the Interior Minister”s resignation was not pushed forth.

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