Saakashvili: Cutting of Presidential Powers Planned

President Saakashvili said on December 26 that he would propose a draft constitutional amendment envisaging cutting of his powers in favor of the Parliament.

He said the move was part of Georgia’s drive “to gradually move towards the classical European constitutional model.”

“It will become easier for Parliament to dismiss the government, while it will be difficult for a President to dissolve the Parliament; it will become almost impossible,” Saakashvili told journalists.

A written draft of the planned amendment is not yet available; lawmakers from the ruling party said the draft was not yet finalized.

Saakashvili said that the planned amendments would mean giving the Parliament “much more levers of control of the government.”

“We will make ministers accountable to the Parliament and obligate the ministries’ staff to regularly report to the parliament and to the Georgian people; [we are giving Parliament powers] to raise the issue of responsibility [of government members] anytime if they fail to perform their duties,” he said.

“Our task is to gradually move towards the classical European constitutional model – though there are various models in Europe; France has a very strong president, there are some European countries, where the parliament is stronger,” he continued. “We will find a model, which will be in line with the most correct understanding of democracy for Georgia, wherein the Georgian people will have key role and we all – president, parliament, government, officials will serve these people and the people will have a maximum opportunity to control us on a daily bases through the Parliament and through media outlets.”

Davit Bakradze, the Parliamentary Chairman, said on December 26, that the draft of constitutional amendment will be proposed “in the nearest future.”

“Recently we have been intensively working over a package of documents, which will strengthen the parliament as an institution,” he told journalists.

A draft of constitutional amendment should go through a one-month public discussion, before it is put on vote in the Parliament.

President Saakashvili said in his annual state of the nation address in September that he would propose constitutional amendments envisaging increasing of the Parliament’s powers.

According to the current constitution the President has right to dissolve the Parliament, in case the legislative body fails to pass the state budget within three months or refuses to give confidence vote to the new cabinet after three attempts. The President, however, can not resort to his right of dissolving the Parliament within six months after the parliamentary elections; during the martial or emergency situation and within last six months of the presidential term.

Under the current constitution the Parliament has the right to demand sacking of the cabinet, but the demand is not binding for the President and he has powers either to dismiss the cabinet or dissolve the parliament.

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