Opinion of the Leading Parliamentarians About the Events of November 1st

On November 1st President Shevardnadze dismissed executive government members. Chairman of the Parliament Zurab Zhvania resigned from the post as well. In result of a strong pressure of the Parliament Prosecutor-General Gia Meparishvili left the office too. But the meeting in front of the Parliament building still continues. One part of the protesters demands resignation of the President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze.

“Civil Georgia” is giving opinions on of the leading parliamentarians: Zurab Zhvania, Mikheil Saakashvili, Demur Giorkhelidze, Vakhtang Khmaladze, Giorgi Targamadze and already a former Prosecutor-General Gia Meparishvili.

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Zurab Zhvania, Former Chairman of the Parliament 
 
I hope that the processes will move from the streets to the buildings, to the Parliament building first of all. We must find a way out of the crisis, which definitely exists in the country, together with people. It is very regrettable that the government let things go to the street demonstrations. First of all unmade decisions of the president were the reason of such developments.

I am categorically against of resignation of the president. This would surely lead us to civil war.

Mikheil Saakashvili, Independent MP from Vake District, Tbilisi

Street actions will not end so simply. I think that the issue of composition of the [new] government would very serious. Issue of the institute of president must be raised as well. President is not a pharaoh. People’s attitude towards him is critical.

Demur Giorkhelidze, Member of “New Abkhazia & Christian-Democrats” Faction

I had no doubts that it would happen this way and it really did. In any other case both the people and the country would had faced a catastrophe and a ‘puppet’ government would have lead the country.

In the nearest future the Parliament and the president – guarantee of constitution and stability – will start consultations. We must create new governance system in the country within the next few months.

Today is a historic date. We indeed starter building of a civil society and a civilized state.

Vakhtang Khmaladze, Member of “Industrialists” Faction

I think that this was a best solution for the existing situation. I mean a choice between revolutionary and evolutionary changes. With this decision we now have an option of evolutionary changes.

We must start discussions about the constitutional changes within one week and if they develop into the right direction, then executive power would move completely to the hands of the cabinet of the ministers. This means that existing model of presidential republic would transfer into parliamentary republic system. In such a system we would have means of influence such as vote of no-confidence, criticism and impeachment of the government on the basis of political unsuitability.

I think that such changes must be followed by preliminary elections, which would give as a political body, adequate to a real situation in the country. Thus we would be able to have a new government within 3-4 months.

Giorgi Targamadze, Member of “Agordzineba” Faction

Tension in the country reached its highest point and it has been discharged. Therefore I welcome such manner of acting of the Parliament. However, such an fuss about Zhvania’s decision is a little funny. In fact this person and the members of his team must bear responsibility for the hard situation in the country and they definitely would.

I think that in the nearest future we will be ready to start discussing the issue of the cabinet of the ministers. We never have been against system of team responsibility in the vertical of Georgian government. We simply thought, that Shevardnadze should not have played role of saboteur after ‘soft’ handover of the power to Zurab Zhvania.

But today the situation changed drastically. Political reality has become different. And therefore we are fully ready to hold consultations about the issue of the ministers’ cabinet.

Gia Meparishvili, Former Prosecutor-General

Tomorrow the society will realize that we are dealing with an ordinary struggle for power and nothing more.

I would prefer to resign rather being a reason for kids to stand in the streets and cause destabilization of the country.

Irakli Batiashvili, Member of “New Rightists” Faction

I think that the chairman of the Parliament and President have made serious step. I believe that these events should be regarded as a starting point of the reforms in the country. We will participate in the consultations about the issue of the cabinet of the ministers.