Opposition “disappointed” as ruling party proposes deoligarchisation bill - culture minister
Georgian culture minister Tea Tsulukiani on Wednesday said the “radical part” of the domestic opposition was “unwilling” the current authorities to meet the European Union conditions for Georgia’s membership candidacy. Photo: culture ministry press office
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Georgian culture minister Tea Tsulukiani on Wednesday said the “radical part” of the domestic opposition was“utterly disappointed” by the recent move of the ruling Georgian Dream party to propose a bill on deoligarchisation as part of the conditions set by the European Commission in June for Georgia’s membership candidate status.
Tsulukiani, who earlier served as the country’s justice minister, claimed the section of the opposition had seen the EU conditions as an “opportunity to overthrow” the current state leadership, stressing their plans “have been rejected” as the authorities had ensured “all efforts” to meet the conditions for the country’s “European future”.
I am sure Europe will welcome this bill, as it is one of the conditions for the country’s EU membership candidacy. The country needs such a law”, Tsulukiani said, claiming the opposition had been initially demanding the bill before “changing their minds”.
The ruling party has pledged the discussing of the bill "as transparently and inclusively as possible". Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Anri Okhanashvili, a chair of the parliament’s legal affairs committee from the ruling party, on Monday said Georgia would use the Ukrainian legislation while drafting the bill, with the only exception that unlike Ukraine, where the president’s office is responsible for compiling the list of potential oligarchs, in Georgia the parliament would be tasked with the objective.
Okhanashvili also said the bill would consider an individual to be an oligarch if they met at least three of four criteria designated for the purpose - influence over the media, engagement in monopolistic activity, possession of a specific amount of assets, and influence in political and public life.
The MP pledged the bill would be discussed “as transparently and inclusively as possible,” but noted mentioning specific names in the bill, as demanded by a part of the opposition, would be “very undemocratic”.
Anri Okhanashvili, the chair of the Georgian parliament's legal affairs committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the working group engaged in implementing European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status was preparing to present its bill on deoligarchisation.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the bill on deoligarchisation, a draft addressing one of the conditions of the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status, would not be passed by the ruling team if consensus among the nongovernmental sector, the “radical” domestic opposition and the EU was against it.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s European Union Integration Committee, on Friday rejected the notion that her meeting with a delegation of the European Parliament had tied the deoligarchisation condition for Georgia’s European Union membership status to “solutions tailored to one person”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said “de-oligarchisation” was “not really” a challenge in the country but vowed to have consultations with European Union bodies over the matter to “get more specifics and explanations”.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday called on the United States ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan to “be clear in her statements” regarding the issue of deoligarchisation in the country.
Thea Tsulukiani, the vice prime minister of Georgia, on Tuesday said a part of the domestic opposition was “playing with the country’s fate” with its refusal to join the work for receiving the European Union membership candidate status and its stance against bills proposed by the ruling party for the purpose.
Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said the deoligarchisation bill proposed by the ruling party as part of work for fulfilling conditions for obtaining the European Union membership candidate status was “free from political interests” as it was based on Ukrainian legislation.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said he had addressed Claire Bazy Malaurie, the President of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, with a request for an “urgent opinion” on the proposed domestic bill for deoligarchisation.