Parliament passes deoligarchisation bill in its second reading
According to the draft law, which was changed in April, based on the interim recommendations of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, an individual will be recognised as an oligarch by the Anti-Corruption Bureau instead of the Government. Photo via Parliament of Georgia
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The Georgian parliament on Tuesday passed the deoligarchisation bill, with 81 votes against two, in its second reading, 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.
According to the draft law, which was changed in April, based on the interim recommendations of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, an individual will be recognised as an oligarch by the Anti-Corruption Bureau instead of the Government.
The definition of an oligarch is outlined as a person who participates in political life, enjoys “significant influence” on mass media, and bears “significant economic and political weight in public life”.
Anri Okhanashvili, the Chair of the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, said the Commission had approved the amended version of the bill, as “mostly” all of its recommendations were taken into account.
Okhanashvili noted despite the Venice Commission’s recommendation not to adopt the bill and its Monday’s final opinion, which said the Georgian authorities had “chosen to tackle the destructive influence of oligarchisation through a [...] ‘personal approach’” with the bill “[r]ather than pursuing [a] multi-sectoral, ‘systemic’ approach” to the issue”, the Georgian legislative body should pass the bill to fulfil the European Commission’s priorities, including the one on deoligarcisation.
There is a collision between the two European structures. Therefore, it is important for us to act in accordance with the European Commission, to adopt the law and leave no room for speculation [on the fulfilment of EU priorities]”, he said, adding the law would not be enacted immediately after its publication and would wait for the European Commission’s further recommendation.
Earlier today Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of Parliament’s Rules and Procedural Issues Committee, also said the legislative body would withdraw the bill on deoligarchisation if the European Commission considered it “unnecessary” for the country.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, on Tuesday said the legislative body would withdraw the bill on deoligarchisation, a part of conditions for the country to obtain the European Union membership candidate status, if the European Commission considered it “unnecessary” for the country.
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.
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.
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.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday claimed the opinions of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and the European Commission on the Georgian deoligarchisation bill “contradict each other”.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Saturday said the bloc needed to receive “good news” from Georgia regarding its progress on the conditions outlined by the EU last year for granting Tbilisi its membership candidate status, in order to create a “positive atmosphere” for future relations between the sides.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the ruling team would take into account requests of European partners and not approve the domestic bill on deoligarchisation - designed to address one of the conditions for Georgia to be granted the EU membership candidate status - until December.
The Georgian Government on Monday announced it would develop an action plan to address the task of deoligarchisation in the country “in accordance with the Venice Commission opinion and the requirements of the European Union”, ahead of the bloc’s decision whether to grant Georgia its membership candidate status later this year.