Two Members Quit Opposition Coalition

Gia Tortladze and Gia Tsagareishvili, two individual members of the eight-party opposition coalition, said on June 9 they were quitting the bloc.

They cited the dominant role of the New Rights Party within the coalition, accusing it of unilateral decisions on behalf of the coalition. “The principle of consensus-based decision-making has been violated,” Tsagareishvili said.

“In fact unilateral decisions have been taken by the National Council [governing body of the coalition] since the New Rights Party joined it,” Tortladze said.

Both Tortladze and Tsagareishvili were elected to the new parliament on a coalition ticket. The coalition said it would boycott Parliament.

Tsagareishvili and Tortladze, however, said they would take their seats if the authorities made three concessions: not to use its two-third majority in Parliament to make constitutional amendments without agreement with the opposition; direct election of mayors and governors (mayors are now elected by City Councils and governors are appointed by the president); appointment of an opposition MP as chairman of the parliamentary investigative commission.

In late May a small party, On Our Own, led by Paata Davitaia, left the coalition.

Davitaia has also said that he will enter Parliament if the authorities give the opposition certain levers of powers, including oversight of the Chamber of Control – the state audit agency. Davitaia has also become a lawmaker

Meanwhile, the Christian-Democratic Party, which won six seats, said “consultations” with opposition MPs were underway to lay out conditions to take up their seats.

The Labor Party and the eight-party bloc said they remained firm in their intention to boycott the new parliament.

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