Tea Tsulukiani to Chair Parliamentary Commission Investigating UNM Government
The GD Parliament’s temporary investigative commission, tasked with examining the “regime’s and its political representatives’ activities in 2003-2012 ” has elected Tea Tsulukiani as its chairperson. The decision was made during the commission’s first organizational meeting today. The GD parliamentary commission has been set up to investigate the alleged crimes of the previous United National Movement government. Sozar Subari, a member of GD’s offshoot People’s Power, was elected as the commission’s secretary.
The commission consists of eight members, including five from Georgian Dream (Tea Tsulukiani, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, Aleksandre Tabatadze, Aluda Ghudushauri, and Paata Salia), as well as three from the pseudo-opposition parties — People’s Power (Sozar Subari and Guram Macharashvili) and European Socialists (Ilia Injia). People’s Power and European Socialists are composed of the former Georgian Dream MPs who aim to form “healthy opposition” in the country.
During the meeting, Tsulukiani raised the issue of amending parliamentary regulations to improve the commission’s efficiency. She argued that due to the “extensive volume of materials,” commission members should be granted additional authority. “This could include adjustments to the work schedule or expanding the powers of each commission member,” she stated.
Tsulukiani said said that citizens who were interested in the work of the commissions and who had been “victims” would be able to submit their statements to the Commission. In her remarks, Tsulukiani asked individuals submitting information in writing to the commission to provide fact-based accounts of UNM’s “crimes” rather than general statements, and provide “factual details and concise descriptions” so that the commission “can quickly assess the value of the information.” They don’t have to be “victims” but can be witnesses, Tsulukiani said.
Tsulukiani emphasized that the commission’s conclusions would be based on court rulings, international reports, and official documents, including decisions the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Tsulukiani also stressed that individuals summoned by the commission are legally required to cooperate. “If any of them, after being summoned to a hearing, refuses to appear, our legislation provides for rather strict liability in such cases,” she warned.
According to her, the commission will investigate various areas, including the “penitentiary system, the judiciary, confiscated properties, public officials, different kinds of repression or persecution, and elections.” “This will also be interesting for the characterization of the regime,” she added in connection to the elections’ issue. The Commission will also examine the actions of political officials in relation to the 2008 war with Russia highlighting that “we are not talking here about the actions of Georgian soldiers, who were sacrificed by the regime,” she added.
“New generations emerge, and many of us have already encountered citizens who were just children 12 years ago. They do not know what I am talking about. They think it’s something from a fairy tale. Our goal should be to add new details to history, to enrich it with precise touches,” she said.
The formation of this commission comes amid concerns over the legitimacy of the 11th convocation of the Parliament, which was elected in the widely disputed October 26 elections. The opposition parties that passed the 5% threshold, (Coalition for Change, UNM-Unity, Strong Georgia, Gakharia for Georgia) refused to take their seats in protest. On February 5, the ruling Georgian Dream Party terminated the three opposition alliances’ mandates, further consolidating its dominance in the questioned legislature.
Also Read:
- 07/02/2025 – GD Parliament Staffs Commission to Investigate UNM, Threatens Criminal Liability for Refusal to Cooperate
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