Burjanadze Speaks of Parliament’s Priorities

At the opening sitting of the Georgian Parliament’s autumn session on September 13 Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze spoke about the legislative body’s priorities, called on the MPs to be more actively engaged in legislative activities and urged the opposition to be “constructive” while criticizing the authorities.

She outlined local self-governance reforms, an increase of the judiciary system’s independence and adoption of EU-standard laws as the Georgian Parliament’s top priorities.  Burjanadze urged the parliamentarians from both the ruling National Movement and the opposition parties to cooperate constructively in order to boost “the Parliament’s prestige.” She also called on the parliamentarians to be more actively engaged in discussing issues related with to the state budget.

But the parliamentarians from the opposition parties criticized Burjanadze’s report, saying that she focused mainly on the government’s successes and thus avoided speaking about those problems which currently persist in the country.

“Local self-governance reform – this is one of the priorities of the Parliament. A group of parliamentarians has just recently visited Strasbourg where, with our colleagues [from the Council of Europe], we had a detailed discussion of the draft laws on local self-governance. We are ready to accept every constructive proposal over this issue. Reform of self-governance has is very important for our development. We should establish a real self-governance,” Burjanadze said.

She called on the parliamentarians to be more actively engaged in the discussion of issues related to the state budget.

“Last year we failed to comprehensively discuss issues related to the budget. Debates over budgetary issues should be in-depth and comprehensive and absolutely transparent. The budget is the lever through which the Parliament plays its most important role in the process of the country’s development. Each of you should be actively engaged in budgetary debates,” Burjanadze stated.

The Parliamentary Chairperson stressed that without reforms in the judiciary system the country would fail to achieve those goals set by the government.

“Without an independent judiciary [sector] the country will never be able to stand strong. We are not going to turn a blind eye on the fact that we really do not have an ideal judicial system and we have serious complaints towards the representatives of the judicial system. This is a reality. But I also know how seriously our relevant [parliamentary] committees are working to improve the situation. The political will [to improve the judiciary system] exists,” she said.

Burjanadze also said that the Parliament should play an important role in fostering Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic drive through the adoption of EU-standard laws.

“By 2008 our Parliament should pass those laws which will enable us to speak about our associated membership in the EU. These are not just empty words,” she said.

“I am happy that through the implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan [IPAP] with NATO we will be able to launch implementation of a NATO Membership Action Plan [MAP] starting in 2006. This is a huge achievement,” Burjanadze added.

She urged the parliamentarians from both the ruling National Movement and opposition parties cooperate constructively in order to boost “the Parliament’s prestige.”

Recently, the Georgian legislative body and the Parliamentary Chairperson herself have been criticized for failing to perform one of their major duties – proper monitoring of the executive government. Opponents say that the Parliament’s policy is mainly outlined by a very small group of legislators from the National Movement party, led by influential parliamentarian Giga Bokeria.

“Parliament’s prestige does not depend on the activities of only a few parliamentarians. The Parliamentary Chairperson and separate MPs alone can not create the reputation of the Parliament,” Nino Burjanadze said.

“We are interested in having a strong and constructive opposition. But the opposition will be strong and constructive only if, along with the criticism the opposition also sees those achievements which have materialized. Even your objective criticism will lose its objectivity if you [the opposition] turn a blind eye on the [government’s] achievements. Your criticism will be heard only if you are constructive,” the Parliamentary Chairperson said.

She also said that the Parliament should be a guarantor of freedom of speech. She was responding to recent criticism by opponents over the government’s attempts to control various media sources’ editorial policy.

“We will not permit any pressure [to be carried out against] the independent media,” Burjanadze said, but added that the media should be impartial while covering developments. “Impartial and balanced reporting – this is our request to the media and do not regard this as an attempt to interfere in the media’s affairs,” she added.

But the parliamentarians from the opposition parties criticized Burjanadze’s report, saying that she focused mainly on the government’s successes thus avoided speaking about those problems which currently persist in the country.

“Your report was a reflection, and similar to those which we hear almost daily from the President. I was expecting you to make more radical statements about the problems,” MP Pikria Chikhradze from the opposition New Rights party said, addressing the Parliamentary Chairperson.

MP Ivliane Khaindrava of the opposition Republican Party also said that Burjanadze was “too optimistic” and did not pay due attention to persisting problems. “But at the same time I welcome your stance about the necessity to increase the reputation of the Parliament, because the level [of the Parliament’s reputation] is currently extremely low,” MP Khaindrava said addressing Nino Burjanadze.