The Daily Beat: 13 June
Despite the calls from the Venice Commission not to adopt the draft law “On De-Oligarchization,” the Parliament considered the draft law and passed it in the second reading with 81 votes in favor and two against. On June 12, the Venice Commission advised Georgia to shelve the proposed draft law “On De-Oligarchization,” citing the potential for political abuse and arbitrary application.
Parliament overrode the President’s veto on the draft amendments to the law on the National Bank, adopting the original version of the draft law by 82 votes against 9. The amendments tabled and adopted by the ruling Georgian Dream party envisage introducing a new executive position – the First Vice-President – in the bank’s board of directors, diminishing the board’s role as an independent supervisory body since most members will be executive. The amendments stirred local and international criticism, including from the International Monetary Fund.
Parliament approved amendments to the Electoral Code and the Rules of Procedure in the third reading, shifting the powers of nominating the Chair and members of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) from the President to the Speaker of the Parliament. According to the new amendments, if Parliament approves the Chairperson and members of the CEC by a majority (76 votes), they will hold office for five years. Reportedly, the current procedure for appointing CEC members is in line with the Charles Michel Agreement, requiring an agreement between the parliamentary majority and opposition on selecting the CEC chairperson and members.
The Public Defender, Levan Ioseliani, rebutted the remarks voiced by his deputy, Natia Julakidze, at EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee (PAC) in Brussels, claiming that the Public Defender’s Office (PDO) has a limited mandate regarding judicial reforms. Julukhidze’s remarks sparked criticism by human rights activists and former public defenders, claiming that the PDO has a clear mandate in judicial matters. The Public Defender Levan Ioseliani called his deputy’s remarks “a misunderstanding” and said, “the Public Defender cannot distance himself from judicial issues,” pledging to remain involved within the mandate in all the processes related to the judiciary.
Data of the Day
Chief Statistics Office (Geostat) published express data indicating an 18.9% increase in external merchandise trade in January – May 2023 compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching USD 8.360.0 million. Geostat said the country’s external merchandise trade saw an 18.5% rise in exports while imports were up 19.1%.
