
GD Government to Abolish Civil Service Bureau
On February 3, the GD government’s press service announced that the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) will be abolished as a legal entity, effective April 1, 2025. The statement said that it’s part of an effort “to rationalize governance and optimize expenses.” However, employees of the Bureau have critically assessed the move, suggesting that the liquidation aims to suppress dissenting voices within the public service.
According to the GD government statement, the Anti-Corruption Bureau had taken over the responsibilities related to the completion and publication of officials’ declarations and the control of ethics and integrity among public servants, “therefore, considering that the Public Service Bureau no longer holds one-third of its original functions, its existence in the form of a legal entity under public law is deemed inexpedient,” the press release stated.
The statement further said that: “At this stage, the functions of the Public Service Bureau are essentially limited to working on public administration reform, which is carried out in close coordination with the relevant department of the government administration, and publishing information about competitions for vacancies in the public service, which is largely a technical function.”
Therefore the release said, “the remaining functions within its authority will be carried out by the relevant departments of the government administration.”
The Civil Service Bureau was created in 2004, its activities were related to the implementation of a “unified state policy in the field of public service,” aiming to organize public service in accordance with the values of the European Union and the principles of public governance.
Employees React to the Liquidation
In a statement shared on Facebook, Nino Tsukhishvili, the employee of the Bureau, claimed that the liquidation of the agency was communicated informally to the staff members. Tsukhishvili wrote that for more than 10 years, the Bureau “has been dedicated to establishing a professional, politically neutral, ethical, and accountable public service, which was one of the preconditions for Georgia’s integration into the European Union.”
Tsukhishvili also recalled a joint petition signed by some employees of the Bureau in November 2024 in response to amendments to the “Public Service” law, which she said were repressive. These amendments, she said, led to the dismissal of public servants who had expressed opposition to the changes.
“The employees of the Civil Service Bureau believe that the liquidation of the Bureau is part of this process and aims to suppress critical voices within the public service,” Tsukhishvili’s Facebook post read.
On December 14, 2024, 15 employees of the CSB issued a statement criticizing amendments to the Law on Public Service proposed by the GD party. The employees argued that the changes undermine the goals of public service reform, particularly in creating a stable, professional, and politically neutral public service. “The amendments to the law completely contradict the declared spirit of public service reform,” the statement reads, adding that the reforms would diminish legal protections for public servants and jeopardize the establishment of a merit-based and accountable public service system. The law was assessed as repressive and a backslide of democracy by local civil society organizations, including GYLA and JSC.
Responding to hundreds of civil servants dissociating themselves from the Georgian Dream’s turn away from the EU, on December 3, 2024 GD’s Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the civil service was going through a “process of self-cleansing.” He also said the dissenters were the “last resource” that the “foreign agents” and their foreign patrons were saving up to the last moment to launch “NatsMaidan.”
Concerns Over Anti-Corruption Bureau’s Growing Power
The Anti-Corruption Bureau which will exercise the mandate of the Civil Service Bureau has faced criticism from local CSOsand international bodies for its instrumentalization for political purposes by the ruling party and for its lack of independence.The Venice Commission, in its December 2023 opinion on Georgia’s anti-corruption legislation, highlighted, in particular, over the power vested in the Prime Minister to appoint and dismiss the head of the ACB, calling it “particularly problematic.”
On October 1, 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) expressed “deep concern” after TI-Georgia was forced to cease its election monitoring due to the ACB’s decision to label the organization as a subject with “declared electoral aims.” PACE co-rapporteurs condemned the ACB’s decision as “deplorable” and a setback for the country’s democratic processes.
Also Read:
- 30/12/2024 – GD Elected President Kavelashvili Signs Into Law Repressive Legislation
- 13/09/2024 – Court Reportedly Authorizes Anti-Corruption Bureau to Access Bank Information of “Vote for Europe” Movement
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