Parliament Deadlocked Over Minimal Salary

(Tbilisi. March 14, 2003. Civil Georgia) – Parliament continues heated debates, started on March 11 over opposition United Democrats factions” proposal on increase of minimal salary that led the legislatures to the deadlock.

During the last four days the opposition factions try everything to “win the time” and postpone discussion of the conclusion of the Procedural Committee, which claims that on February 28, the Parliament accepted the draft law on increase of the minimal salary without observing all necessary procedures. Hence, the Committee urges the Parliament to cancel the decision.

Due to these tensions, the opposition factions and the Parliamentary Chairperson called the pro-governmental factions on March 14 to postpone discussion of the United Democrats” initiative. But the pro-governmental factions are against.

Both, the opposition and the governmental parties, have no doubt that the President is trying to evade responsibility by blocking discussions of the draft law in the Parliament, while the opposition wants the President to make the final decision.

According to the Constitution, the President has to decide whether to veto the draft law before March 20 and there are no sessions of the Parliament scheduled for the next week. Thus the pro-governmental factions want to cancel the proposal today.

Because of the heated debates over this proposal Parliament could not discuss other vital issue, like US-Georgian military agreement and situation in Abkhazia scheduled for this week.

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