Parliament Delays Vote on Supreme Court Nominations, Again

Parliament has again delayed vote on President-nominated Supreme Court judge candidates as lawmakers from the ruling GDDG party appear to be still undecided whether to support nominations.

Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili said at a parliamentary session on June 3 that the vote was postponed once again upon a request of MPs from the majority group in the parliament as they need more “consultations” among themselves.

President Giorgi Margvelashvili named incumbent deputy defense minister, Anna Dolidze, as a candidate for the Supreme Court in February, and Tamar Laliashvili and Nona Todua for two other vacant seats in the Supreme Court in March. Hearings in the parliamentary committees over the nominations were completed almost two months ago and the only procedure left is a vote at a parliamentary session. But in early May MP Giorgi Volski, who chairs the largest faction in parliament, made up of MPs from GDDG ruling party, said that members of his faction were undecided about whether to support the nominations.

The vote on the issue was in the agenda of Parliament’s June 3 session and candidates were also present in the chamber, but the plans apparently changed last minute and the Parliament Speaker announced in the evening that the vote was postponed.

“I hope this process will be completed soon. The Supreme Court needs judges; we all know that and that’s why we try to reach a consensus,” Usupashvili said, who also added that the postponing of the vote was prior agreed with the President.

President’s spokesperson, Eka Mishveladze, said that the Supreme Court “and no one else needs” those nominations to be approved by the Parliament.