PM: Merging State Security and Crisis Management Council with National Security Council goes against the Constitution
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Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili says the opposition party Free Democrats’ demand to merge the State Security and Crisis Management Council (SSCMC), under the Prime Minister, with the National Security Council (NSC), under the President, is against the Georgian Constitution and "is inadequate”, read a statement released this evening by the Prime Minister’s press office.
Now the Government [according to the current Constitution] is responsible for any crisis in Georgia and the crisis situations should be managed by the executive branch of power and its leader, the Prime Minister,” read the statement.
The Government needs effective tool to manage crisis situations operatively. In this case this tool is the State Security and Crisis Management Council.”
Kvirikashvili stressed that by raising this issue, some political players had tried to use the "constructive steps” of the Government aimed at political stability for their own political reasons.
The National Security Council meeting. Photo by the President's webpage.
The PM said the State Security and Crisis Management Council and the National Security Council had "divided and clear functions” and according to the new Constitution, if a crisis continues into a state of emergency, only in this case part of the decisions will be made by the President’s National Security Council.
The SSCMC was established in November 2013. It is tasked to work on issues of domestic and foreign state security policy and strategic issues of ensuring stability and rule of law. Making political decisions to manage all types of crisis situations containing a high risk of danger to state interests was also the responsibility of the Council.
Meanwhile the NSC is tasked to discuss issues related to the national military strategy of Georgia. It also discussed issues directly related to the military development and organisation of the country’s defence interests, cases of armed attacks against Georgia, declaration of a ‘state of emergency’ and more.
Georgia’s Council for State Security and Crisis Management is confidently denying Georgia had no plans to host a training centre that would cater for foreign Islamic State fighters, including Syrian rebels.
With UK model from new Situation Room
Georgia has opened a new crisis management centre that will better ensure state security, offer quicker and more efficient reaction to state emergencies and provide greater protection to the country’s citizens.