Georgian parliament passes bill for prosecutor general election
Two more readings are required for the final approval of the bill. Photo: parliament press office
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The Georgian parliament on Tuesday passed a bill on new rules for electing the country’s prosecutor general with its first reading, with 126 MPs supporting the amendments in the 150-member legislative body.
The vote on the new rules - a part of the European Union’s 12-point conditions to grant Georgia membership candidate status - saw both the ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition lawmakers support the changes that involve a 3/5 majority for the election of a new prosecutor general for a term of six years.
If the candidate fails to receive 3/5 of the votes during the first and second rounds of the vote, the candidate will be elected with a majority - if at least 76 votes are cast in their favour - but for a term of one year.
The head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, said that the Georgian Dream authorities were doing "their best" for the country's EU candidacy. Photo: Georgian Dream press office.
Ruling party head Irakli Kobakhidze said in September GD was ready to implement the rule for electing the prosecutor general with a 3/5 quorum, as agreed by Georgian political groups last year, within the framework of the EU-mediated agreement proposed by European Council president Charles Michel.
In comments on the bill for the new rules, Kobakhidze said his party had been “actively working" on fulfiling the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Commission in June, against the backdrop of a “sabotage” by the “radical opposition".
This bill, agreed with the parliamentary opposition, has no analogues in any country, as its content contradicts the logic of the governance system and legal principles”, Kobakhidze noted, adding the fulfilment of the conditions had been a “special priority” and consequently the Georgian government would accept the new rule “without any preconditions”.
Two more readings are required for the final approval of the bill, which requires the support of at least 113 MPs, as the amendments are a part of the country’s constitution.
Georgian prosecutor general Irakli Shotadze on Monday discussed cooperation and ties with Erik Peterson, the principal deputy director at the United States department of justice, in a Tbilisi meeting, the prosecutor’s office said.
Georgian prosecutor general Irakli Shotadze on Thursday said his body’s recently signed cooperation agreement with the European public prosecutor's office was “another step taken for Georgia’s EU membership”.
The ruling Georgian Dream party is ready to implement the rule for electing a Prosecutor General with a 3/5 quorum, as agreed by the Georgian political groups last year, within the framework of the EU-mediated agreement, proposed by European Council President Charles Michel, said Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling party on Thursday at a briefing.
Georgian parliament has approved Irakli Shotadze as the country's prosecutor general for the second time amid a boycott of the parliamentary opposition and several independent MPs.