Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili on Monday opened the first session of the selection commissions for picking chairpersons of the Special Investigation Service and Personal Data Protection Service, two agencies set to replace the outgoing State Inspector’s Service starting in March.
Ilia Darchiashvili, the Head of the Administration of the Government, has been elected chairman of the commissions that will evaluate nominations and consider their expertise for the positions in the two new agencies.
Karlo Nikoleishvili, Chairman of the Board of Rights Georgia, a non-profit human rights organisation, has joined the commission for selecting the head of the Personal Data Protection Service, the second newly approved body.
At least five years of experience in the justice system, law enforcement agencies, or in the field of human rights is the major criteria for the two positions, with the commissions set to pick between two and five candidates for each. PM Garibashvili will then nominate a total of four candidates to the Parliament of Georgia, with two put forward for each agency.
The Georgian government adopted the bill replacing the State Inspector’s Service, which investigated alleged offences committed by state officials and law enforcement agencies, with the Special Investigation Service and Personal Data Protection Service on December 30.