Parliament committee set to discuss amended deoligarchisation bill to meet EU candidacy conditions
MP Anri Okhanashvili said his party had “fully considered” recommendations of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for the bill. Photo: Parliament press office
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The Legal Affairs Committee in the Georgian Parliament will on Wednesday discuss the amended version of the deoligarchisation bill, proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party as part of the work to meet the conditions outlined by the European Union last year for granting its membership candidate status to the country.
Anri Okhanashvili, the Chair of the Committee, on Wednesday said his party had “fully considered” recommendations of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for the bill and also used the European Commission’s assessments of a similar Ukrainian law.
He stressed the amended bill would also offer individuals recognised as “oligarchs” by the bill to appeal against the status in domestic courts.
The European Commission approved the [deoligarchisation] law adopted by Ukraine and called for its implementation. This was an indicator for us that if we also adopted a law based on the same principles, we should be treated similarly and the [particular condition for the EU status] would be considered fulfilled”, Okhanashvili said.
The Committee Chair also noted an alternative version of the bill, proposed by the United National Movement opposition party, had “failed to reflect relevant recommendations” and would mean the EU recommendation being left unfulfilled if adopted.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the feedback received from the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe on the domestic bill on deoligarchisation, a part of the conditions for obtaining the European Union membership candidate status, would be taken into account.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the ruling team had decided to forward the domestic bill on deoligarchisation for comments to the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission.
The European Union representation in Georgia on Monday called on the country’s parliament to request recommendations from the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and consider its feedback over the domestic deoligarchisation bill being considered for approval.
The Georgian parliament on Thursday approved the bill on deoligarchisation, a part of the conditions for obtaining the European Union membership candidate status, in its first reading.
The Legal Affairs Committee in the Georgian Parliament on Wednesday supported the amended version of the deoligarchisation bill - proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party as part of the work to meet the conditions outlined by the European Union last year for granting its membership candidate status to the country - with the majority of votes.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday hailed charity initiatives by Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the former PM of the country, and his role in replacing the “brutal, dictatorial regime” of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili in 2012, in comments at the Global Security Forum in Bratislava.