Prime Minister meets Venice Commission President to produce “most refined” constitution
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Georgia’s Prime Minister met with the President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio today in the country’s western seaside city of Batumi to once again discuss the changes in the country’s constitution which aim to produce "not only a legitimate, but also a most refined document.”
Kvirikashvili told the Venice Commission official that the amendments in the country’s main law [in the constitution] were elaborated through the active engagement of NGOs, politicians and independent experts, which was followed by "unprecedented public discussion.”
Met @giannibuquicch1. Discussed constitutional amendments which seek to put in place a well-balanced #constitutionhttps://t.co/UqKUFbv3jRpic.twitter.com/jDr9nB2dFH
— Giorgi Kvirikashvili (@KvirikashviliGi) 29 June 2017
Georgia will have a constitution that will ensure a full value parliamentary governance model and a more effective government. The constitution will also clarify the president’s role as a neutral arbiter and provide better public safety and human rights protection,” Kvirikashvili stated.
The PM also highlighted the majority’s decision over moving to a fully proportional election system from 2024 and noted "none of the Georgian governments have ever made a solution to reject the majoritarian elections”.
- Georgia has a mixed electoral system in which 77 lawmakers out of the 150-member legislative body are elected via the proportional, party-list system, while the remaining 73 gain seats in Parliament after winning the majoritarian race.
After the meeting with Buquicchio Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze, who chaired the Constitution Commission that produced the draft of the changes in the four-month time, stressed that Georgia will have "not only a legitimate constitution, but also the most refined document.”
The Conference of European Constitutional Courts is being held in Batumi. Photo by the Prime Minister's press office.
Both the Prime Minister and the Parliament Speaker thanked Buquicchio and the Venice Commission for their "huge merit” and recommendations in the process of adopting the constitutional changes.
They stressed the government and parliament would continue consultations with the Commissions in order the final version of the constitution to be "in full line with highest European standards and the demand of the Georgian people”.
The Venice Commission chairperson stated after the meeting that he had a "very good” discussion with Georgian officials.
He stressed that the country’s new constitution should have "very high legitimacy” and vowed he would consult with all relevant political players in the country to support the final version of the law that should be received through a "large-scale consensus.”
Buquicchio also participates in the Conference of European Constitutional Courts. The event is held in Georgia’s Black Sea resort city of Batumi from June 28 to July 1.
He is scheduled to meet President Giorgi Margvelashvili and representatives of the opposition.
The Venice Commission released its opinion about Georgia’s revised draft of the constitution a week ago.
The president of the Venice Commission, Gianni Buquicchio, is expected to visit Georgia today. He will meet with Georgian officials to discuss drafts of constitutional amendments to the Georgian constitution.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili summarised the main changes to the State Constitution today. The head of the Government said that all of the changes contribute to the country’s democratic development.
The Venice Commission - the Council of Europe’s constitutional experts – has published the full text of its opinion about the Constitutional Amendments to the Georgian Constitution.
The Venice Commission liked the majority of the changes drafted during the ongoing constitutional reforms in Georgia, says President of Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio have held a telephone conversation that discussed the ongoing process of amending the constitution in Georgia.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili announced at today’s governmental meeting that the Georgian Dream ruling team is ready to continue discussions over constitutional amendments with the opposition and all interested players.
Parliamentary Vice Speaker Tamar Chugoshvili says the Venice Commission is expected to reveal its preliminary final report on the draft of the Georgian constitution on September 20-22.
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili said today that parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition has achieved consensus over the amendments to the State Constitution.
The constitutional amendments drafted by Georgia’s political opposition and President Giorgi Margvelashvili have been criticised by Lasha Tugushi, Chairperson of the Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated at today’s government meeting that the Georgian Dream leadership took a "historically unprecedented steps” to adopt the constitution which would be in line with highest European standards.
Georgian Parliament has adopted the draft constitutional changes at their third and final hearing today. Out of the 119 lawmakers who had registered to vote on the draft, 117 voted in favour and two went against.
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili and the parliamentary majority have held consultations over the proposed changes to the state constitution today.
US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly says he welcomes the planned four changes in Georgia’s constitution that will be added to the already adopted amendments to the law.