Burjanadze Comments on MPs’ Decision to Quit Posts

Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze expressed regret on May 24 over the decision of three opposition lawmakers to quit their parliamentary positions and called for “constructive work.”

Koka Guntsadze, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights; Davit Saganelidze, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Healthcare and Social Issues and Mzia Tortladze, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Education and Culture, resigned on May 24 in an attempt to show that, as they put it, the “posts mean nothing.” All of them are parliamentarians from the New Rights faction.

This decision comes after Davit Kirkitadze, 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. 

“If the goal [of the opposition parliamentarians] is to demonstrate to the international community that they are being oppressed, then this is not correct,” Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze told reporters.
 
It is expected that MP Gia Tortladze from the opposition Democratic Front faction, who is Deputy Chairman of the Environment Committee, will also quit this post after he returns to Georgia.