Parliament Speaker names 10 top issues to be discussed at autumn session
Archil Talakvadze introduced the current ten top issues of the Parliament of Georgia yesterday. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
Tweet 
Share
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze introduced the 10 top issues that the legislators will be discussing during the autumn session. These are:
- Election reform
- Judicial reform
- European and Euro-Atlantic integration
- Parliamentary oversight
- State budget for 2020
- Territorial integrity and anti-occupation policy
- Environment and ecology
- Children’s rights
- Support for business
- Support for agriculture
Speaking of election reform Talakvadze noted that the ruling Georgian Dream party had announced of switching to the fully proportional system of elections in 2024. However, they changed the date to 2020 upon the public demand.
Talakvadze further underscored that the “independent judiciary” is of utmost importance for the Georgian citizens. Therefore, he said, during the autumn session, the parliament will address the “fourth wave” of judiciary reform.
Photo: Parliament of Georgia
Moreover, from Monday, September 23, legislators will start discussing the 20 candidates of the Supreme Court judges.
Archil Talakvadze said the parliament of Georgia has “rather ambitious plans” for the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
He said, inter-parliamentary cooperation with the EU-member states will become more effective and Georgian MPs will actively participate in various parliamentary assembly meetings.
Speaker Talakvadze stressed that the country’s territorial integrity and anti-occupation policy remains as “the most important challenge”.
We, of course, remain committed to the responsible policy on de-occupation and territorial integrity. We do not have the right to put our peace, security and future under the question mark due to certain emotional decisions”, Talakvadze stated.
He also noted that protection of children’s rights will also continue in parliament, which has recent adopted the Code on the Rights of the Child.
The Government of Georgia has adopted its foreign policy strategy for 2019-2022, which covers a wide range of issues that the country aims to address in the next four years. Russia’s occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) remains among the key challenges for the country.
The Georgian parliament has adopted the Code on the Rights of the Child which UNICEF has called a ‘groundbreaking achievement’ and an important landmark for every child in Georgia.UNICEF says that the code which was developed by the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee of the Georgian parliament with their technical support will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of children in Georgia.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze said legislators will vote on the candidacy of the Supreme Court judges in a transparent manner in line with democratic standards. He said the candidates will be asked “all the important questions” and only afterwards will MPs make a decision whether or not to approve the list.
The Georgian Parliamentary Speaker Archil Talakvadze explained in details the ruling Georgian Dream party’s bill on holding the parliamentary elections in 2020 with a fully proportional voting system, with zero entry threshold. Talakvadze said with its bill the ruling party aims to make politics more democratic, balanced and calm; reduce polarisation; and leave more space for cooperation and business-like discussions
The Georgian Dream (GD) ruling party says that most of its MPs will vote for the party-proposed bill to transfer to a fully proportional elections in 2020 parliamentary race amid fears of the opposition that the bill may be scrapped. After today’s meeting of the ruling party, chaired by the head and the founder of the Georgian Dream Bidzina Ivanishvili, GD MPs said that Ivanishvili and the “majority” of the party support the bill.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has expressed his hope that MPs “will fully share the responsibility assumed towards democratic development of the country,” and vote for the ruling Georgian Dream party’s proposed election bill, which stipulates a move to a fully proportional election system for 2020 instead of 2024.
The Georgian capital of Tbilisi is hosting the 8th Ordinary Session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly (PA) on December 8-10.