TI Georgia: ‘21 MPs didn’t use their right to make a speech in parliament in 2019’

Despite the increase in the members of parliament (MPs) who made speeches in 2019, 21 MPs did not use their right to make a speech in the period covering January 1 - December 31 of 2019. 

Out of the 21 MPs, only two were independent members of parliament, while the remaining 19 were majoritarian MPs, reads the report (Assessment of the Performance of the Parliament of Georgia in 2019) of Transparency International Georgia.

The MPs who missed the most plenary sessions for unjustified reasons in 2019 were Dimitri Samkharadze (Majority), Ruslan Gajiev (Majority),  and Ivliane Tsulaia (Majority).

25 MPs lost 10 per cent of their salaries due to unjustified absences from plenary sittings in 43 cases, while 10 per cent of salaries of 22 MPs were reduced in 33 cases due to unjustified absence from committee sittings.

The most active MP in terms of participation was Rati Ionatamishvili (Majoritarian MP). He was the initiator of the most draft laws last year, while the most active participant of plenary sessions from the parliamentary majority was Anri Okhanashvili in 2019.

In 2019, accountable persons were summoned 46 times to the Georgian parliament, out of which there were 21 cases when the officials did not attend the committee meeting for an unjustified reason”, reads the report.

It is also mentioned in TI’s report that during 2019, the parliament implemented a number of reforms in practice, which were followed by both positive and negative trends.

New mechanisms for parliamentary control have been established, including interpellation and a ministerial hour, with members of the government actively attending plenary sessions and answering questions… In comparison to the previous year, the use of the deputy questions has increased significantly. 41 MPs sent 925 written questions, out of which 771 received a reply”, reads the report.

The report also reads that citizens, journalists, and MPs have repeatedly been denied entry to the building of the parliament. 

Representatives of NGOs were not allowed to attend the presentation of the annual report of the parliament.