Parliament passes deoligarchisation bill in its second reading

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.

• Parliament Committee supports amended deoligarchisation bill to meet EU candidacy conditions

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.

• Parliament official: legislative body will withdraw deoligarchisation bill if European Commission considers it “unnecessary”

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.