Republicans Say New Constitution Proposal ‘Political Maneuver’

Opposition Republican Party leader Davit Usupashvili said that President Saakashvili’s initiative to launch cooperation with opposition parties to draft a new constitution was “a political maneuver” with an aim to divert attention away from the controversial recently passed constitutional amendments.

“The president’s initiative was yet another political maneuver with an attempt to overshadow those very negative reactions that were triggered by the recent constitutional amendments,” Usupashvili said at a news conference on January 12.

He said that the Republican Party welcomes President Saakashvili’s proposal to launch an intensive dialogue with the opposition over various issues, but added that the National Security Council is not a proper format for this purpose.

Mikheil Saakashvili said on January 10 that he plans to invite lawmakers from the opposition parliamentary factions to attend “a broader National Security Council” to discuss issues of vital importance for the country’s future.

“We can not consider this proposal seriously, because the National Security Council has its very concrete functions and goals, and is not a format for a political dialogue,” Davit Usupashvili said.

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