Shevardnadze Refuses to Push Parliament to Adopt the Baker’s Plan

(Tbilisi, August 4, 2003, Civil Georgia) – “I know that the United States and James Baker are dissatisfied that the Georgian President can not fulfill his promise on endorsement of Baker’s Plan [on election system reform]. It is up to Parliament [to adopt a new Election Code]. How can I interfere in the Parliament’s work? Does the US President interfere in the Senate’s activity? Of course he does not,” Eduard Shevardnadze said.

The Parliament could not adopt a rule of composition of the Central Election Commission (CEC), based on US administration’s recommendations, which were delivered in Georgia by US former Secretary of State James Baker in early July.

The pro-Presidential Parliamentary factions, as well as Revival and Industrialists factions voted against the Baker’s Plan, causing the opposition’s protest. The opposition claims the President wants to maintain the existing Central Election Commission.

President Shevardnadze called the opposition parties to accept the Revival’s demands. The Revival Union, which is the supporter of the Adjarian Autonomous Republic leader Aslan Abashidze, wants four seats in the CEC, while other opposition parties, except the Industrialists, propose to distribute seats in the CEC on the parity basis – one seat to each opposition party. The Industrialists Party also demands more than one seat in the CEC.

“The Revival’s demand is absolutely understandable and fair. As well as demand of the Industrialists Party, which cleared a 7% barrier during the 1999 Parliamentary elections,” Shevardnadze said.

The seven opposition parties National Movement, United Democrats, New Rights, Labor Party, Traditionalists, Unity and the supporters of the ex-President Zviad Gamsakhurdia agreed to distribute opposition’s nine seats in the CEC evenly as envisaged by the Baker’s Plan. These parties accuse the Revival and the Industrialist in cooperation with the pro-Presidential Parliamentary factions in order to hinder endorsement of the Baker’s Plan.

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