The Opposition Will Not Be Able to Make Zurab Zhvania Leave the Office

The Resonance; the Akhali Taoba

The parliamentary opposition has started gathering signatures demanding that Head of the Parliament Zurab Zhvania resign. But they have refused to sign the document issued by the Head of the Parliament before the beginning of autumn parliamentary sessions. In case 100 MPs would sign the document Zhvania was ready to leave the position taken. Threat of his impeachment preceded the announcement. The opposition’s intention is to gather 118 votes set by the law. Oppositional factions work individually and they will sum up the votes late on.

Georgian press (the Resonance, the Akhali Taoba) is dubious that the opposition will reach its goal. It presumes that the parliamentary minority will not be able to gather essential amount of votes even though leader of the All Georgian Revival Union Jemal Gogitidze guarantees signatures 210 MPs (there are 235 MPs in the Parliament). “Opposition states one thing but the fact is something different”, the Resonance says. Is supposes that the Traditionalists and the faction “Industry Saves Georgia” will not sign the document of dismissing Zhvania at least by now. “The parliamentary opposition being the united power is overstated”, the newspaper claims.      

Number of potential signatures of those wishing that Zhvania left the office is not enough for the opposition. “59 members of the Revival, 11 members of the Socialists, and 10 members of the faction XXI Century are those who might sign the document. According to the lobby information, it is still early to think about gathering all these 80 votes”, the Resonance says.

“Members of the opposition say that they have enough signatures already but they will prolong the process of dismissing Zhvania in order to make him suffer a little bit”, says the Akhali Taoba and adds up a comment: “It seems the opposition desires that Zhvania suffer as much as it has suffered itself”. Clearly the newspaper considers that the opposition’s statement is ridiculous.

There are interviews with representatives of different positions in the Parliament. Member of the Revival Giorgi Targamadze told the Akhali Taoba that his party is not united against one particular person and the strategic target of the opposition is to modify the authority and political power balance inside the Parliament. Leader of the faction Traditionalist Akaki Asatiani has an opposite idea. “It is incorrect for one political power to fight against one particular politician”, Asatiani states. He presumes that the opposition is exactly united against one person – Zurab Zhvania.