Parliament’s Bureau Session. September 24, 2001

The Opposition attended the meeting with all  its members,  but  for rather short  time. Vakhtang Rcheulishvili made following demands to the bureau: the Opposition would stop boycotting the Parliament Session only if the Majority agrees to discuss the issue of 4 parliamentarians, found guilty by the Constitutional Court; amendments to the Election Code which would be acceptable for both sides. After making such an ultimatum, the Opposition members left the hall without waiting to any answer. The Bureau concluded that the fate of the 4 MPs would be decided under conclusion of the Legal and Procedural Committees.

Member of the “Traditionalists” Maia Nadiradze requested discussions of the situation in Pankisi and Kodori valleys. She requested invitation of the ‘power’ ministers and Foreign Minister to hear their explanations during a closed plenary session. Fearing lack of secret information, Gia Baramidze suggested that the trust group of the Committee of Defence and Security would have meetings with the ministers and discuss the issue at the closed meeting of the Committee.

Valeri Khaburzania, Parliamentary Secretary of the President submitted to the Parliament two new candidatures: Roland Gigilashvili – to the post of Justice Minister and Giorgi Gachechiladze  – to the post of the Minister of State Property Management.

The Bureau included to the agenda of this week’s sessions, amendments the Election Code, rules of election of the members of the Central Election Commission and other issues.