NEWS

Ruling party won’t vote for several candidates for Supreme Court judge

The candidates for the Supreme Court judge will be voted on Thursday. Photo: Supreme Court.

Agenda.ge, 10 Dec 2019 - 09:52, Tbilisi,Georgia

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says it will not vote for several of 20 candidates running for a seat as a Georgian Supreme Court judge, during the voting scheduled on December 12.

Opposition, civic activists announce 'large rally' amid voting of judges in parliament

Ruling party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze said that it was one of the three issues discussed at the ruling party meeting late on Monday.

The remaining two issues concerned elections.

Mdinaradze said that the ruling party will make an agreement with several of its majoritarian MPs who offer the move to a fully majoritarian elections “with the final deal announced in 2-3 days.”

The final issue discussed, as Mdinaradze said, was the offer of the opposition on making 10 majoritarian constituencies instead of 73 for the 2020 parliamentary elections.

Mdinaradze stated that the ruling party will possibly have an answer for the offer at the end of the week.

Several ruling party MPs collecting signatures for bill on fully majoritarian elections

06 Dec 2019

Eleven majoritarian MPs of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, who rejected the party proposed bill on an early transition to a fully proportional elections on November 14, are set to collect 200,000 signatures from voters to initiate a bill to parliament on the transition to a fully majoritarian elections from 2024.

Head of Georgian Constitutional Court withdraws candidacy for Supreme Court

02 Dec 2019

Head of the Georgian Constitutional Court Zaza Tavadze, who is on the 20-person list presented to parliament for a lifetime appointment as a judge on the Georgian Supreme Court, has withdrawn his candidacy, citing controversies related to his higher education.

Opposition, civic activists announce 'large rally' amid voting of judges in parliament

28 Nov 2019

The opposition and civil activists , who have been protesting for two weeks due to parliament’s rejection of the ruling party’s proposed election bill, have announced a 'large rally' at parliament when MPs will be scheduled to vote on a 20-person list of candidates for judge in the Georgian Supreme Court. The opposition, which strongly disapproves of the list, vows the rally will lead to the fulfilment of the demonstrators’ demands.

Chief Prosecutor, deputy on final list of judges for Georgian Supreme Court

05 Sep 2019

The High Council of Justice of Georgia, a body which is responsible for the selection and appointment of judges in the country, has presented a final, 20 person list, for judges to the Supreme Court, including Chief Prosecutor Shalva Tadumadze and his deputy Mamuka Vasadze.

12 detained at a rally near parliament

12 Dec 2019

Twelve individuals including opposition leaders and members have been detained at parliament earlier today for ‘hooliganism and disobedience to the police’, during a rally opposing a 20-person list of judges nominated for seats on the Georgian Supreme Court. Opposition leaders and members Giorgi Vashadze, Giorgi Tevdoradze, Beso Gazdelian, Guram Chalagashvili, Zurab Kostava, David Kakauridze and Kakhaber Machitidze are among the detainees.

Parliament session paused as unclear substance spilled before controversial voting

12 Dec 2019

A break has been announced in parliament as an unclear substance has been spilled in the session hall with a “very unpleasant smell”as MPs say, causing a delay in a major vote today on the controversial list of judges for the Georgian Supreme Court. Emergency brigades and law enforcers are present at the scene, as several of the MPs feel ill.

Parliament approves 14 of 19 candidates as lifelong judges on Supreme Court amid protests

12 Dec 2019

The Georgian parliament has approved 14 of total 19 candidates for lifelong judges of the Georgian Supreme Court amid protests of the opposition and civic groups. Prosecutor General Shalva Tadumadze, his deputy Mamuka Vasadze and Secretary of Georgia’s High Council of Justice Giorgi Mikautadze are among those approved.

US Embassy isses statement on appointment of Supreme Court judges

13 Dec 2019

The US Embassy said that the candidate selection process in the High Council of Justice “lacked transparency and resulted in a slate of nominees that did not fully represent the best qualified candidates”.

Police investigating spillage of noxious substance in parliament, ruling party points at opposition

13 Dec 2019

The Georgian Interior Ministry is investigating who spilled a noxious substance in parliament early yesterday, leading to a pause in the parliamentary session ahead of a major vote and the need to summon ambulances for several MPs.

EU issues statement on appointment of Supreme Court judges

14 Dec 2019

The European Union has issued a statement on the recent lifetime appointment of 14 Supreme Court judges in Georgia. New EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano released a statement yesterday.