Parliament Is Divided in Two

The Resonance; The Dilis Gazeti

(Tbilisi. November 7. Civil Georgia) – Head of the Parliament was to be elected at the plenary session yesterday. “Election of the legislative branch leader went on with beating each other up”, the Resonance says. Candidature of Nino Burjanadze, head of the foreign affairs committee in the Parliament, proposed by the faction Traditionalist was the basic one on the post until yesterday afternoon when newly elected MP Vazha Lortkipanidze was named on the position also. The new candidate broke the Parliament in two parts.

Lortkipanidze is thought to be backed by the President. His candidature was offered by the faction “Tanadgoma” (support). Lortkipanidze’s supporters were demanding that the polling for Parliamentary Chairman be delayed by Friday. According to leader of the faction Socialist Vakhtang Rcheulishvili, the polling was to be postponed because the candidature was to be agreed with Aslan Abashidze, leader of Adjara Autonomous Republic; faction the New Right Wings were complaining about the absence of time for passing essential procedures; and Vazha Lortkipanidze was stating that he was be hold consultations with other factions (the Dilis Gazeti).   

It very much depends on Aslan Abashidze who will lead the legislative branch, the Resonance says and assumes that leader of Adjara and Shevardnadze have already agreed about who the Chairman should be. “Polling was delayed yesterday. It seems Shevardnadze and Abashidze do not have the majority there that is 118 MP votes, which is enough for approving a Chairman”, the Resonance says.

As to reformers and their supporters, they were sure that their candidature Nino Burjanadze had no one to compete with until Vazha Lortkipanidze occurred. The power balance is not disappointing anyhow. “With Burjanadze becoming the Chairman the reformers team will have control over the Parliament, they will create a big coalition and try to settle in the government”, the Resonance presumes.