Burjanadze Seeks to Increase Parliament’s Watchdog Functions

In an interview with the Georgian daily 24 Hours, published on January 29, Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said that she thinks “seriously about strengthening Parliament’s role.”  She said that the Parliament should increase its watchdog functions.

“I think the Parliament fails to fully implement those functions which it has to. I don’t mean the legislative work. I mainly mean the Parliament’s watchdog functions; functions related to the control of the executive branch of government,” Nino Burjanadze said.

She said that last year the Parliament had to work in, as she put it, “a force majeure situation.”

“It is an anomaly when the Parliament approves 90 laws during one session… I assure you that, starting from February, this will not be repeated. 80 laws adopted during one session cannot be of adequate quality,” Burjanadze said.

The Parliamentary Chairperson also said that she has already talked with President Mikheil Saakashvili and Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania about this issue and both welcomed her position.

“I hope that if the Parliament rejects a draft law, the government will not perceive this as a confrontation of Parliament with the executive branch,” she added.

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