Ruling Coalition Suffers First Major Dispute

Burjanadze says she will take decision over her future political career after talks with President Saakashvili.

Major disagreement sparked in the ruling coalition on February 26, as Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said she is unhappy with the party-list of MP candidates running for the March 28 proportional parliamentary elections.

The ruling coalition of the two leading parties of President Saakashvili and Premier Zurab Zhvania submitted the party-list of MP candidates to the Central Election Commission at the last minute before expiration of the deadline on February 26.

Representatives of Saakashvili’s National Movement and Zhvania’s United Democrats parties were in hard talks with Nino Burjanadze over the composition of the first 100 places in the party-list, as the coalition hopes to gain more than 100 seats in the parliament.

President Saakashvili, Primer Zhvania and Parliamentary Chairperson Burjanadze tried to enlist more their supporters in the party-lists in order to have a stronger foothold in the parliament. 

Reports say that Saakashvili’s supporters received more than half of places in the party-list, Zhvania’s supporters – up to 30, and Burjanadze’s supporters only – around 20. The Parliamentary Chairperson wanted more his supporters in the party-list.

“Sometimes I feel that someone wants me to say: I do not want to be a Parliamentary Chairperson any more. I will think over it and take final decision after talks with President Saakashvili [who returns from the U.S. on February 27],” Nino Burjanadze told reporters late on February 26.

Three leaders of the November bloodless revolution – Saakashvili, Zhvania and Burjanadze – agreed earlier this year to form a ruling coalition. According to the agreement Saakashvili became the President, Zhvania – Prime Minister and Burjanadze is expected to be nominated for the Parliamentary Chairperson in the new Parliament.

Nino Burjanadze also said “there were political intrigues in order to prevent my supporters from entering the party-list.”

One hour before the expiration of the deadline for submitting party-lists, Zurab Zhvania said “the unity of coalition is under threat.”

Later Zhvania’s ally and his party leader Mikheil Machavariani explained that “situation in the collation was really difficult and we were on the edge of collapse.”

“However, finally, we could manage to submit a party-list, which we think is composed with persons, which deserve to be MPs,” Mikheil Machavariani told the press conference late on February 26.
 
Nino Burjanadze was elected as MP in Kutaisi single-mandate constituency in November 2 elections. As the court annulled only the results of proportional elections, Nino Burjanadze and other MPs elected in single-mandate constituencies, would retain their mandates.
 
This is the second time, when Nino Burjanadze expresses complains against her allies – President Saakashvili and Premier Zhvania.

The first disagreement sparked after President Saakashvili and Premier Zhvania proposed constitutional amendments in early February. The constitutional changes boosted the presidential powers at the expanse of the Parliament, while Nino Burjanadze advocated stronger legislative body.

However, Nino Burjanadze decided to accept proposal in order to keep unity of the leaders. “Our unity is very important for the society,” she said in early February.

It seems that despite complains towards her revolution allies, Nino Burjanadze will agree again over Saakashvili’s and Zhvania’s proposals over the party-list and keep unity of the ruling coalition.

However, some political analysts say that this unity might not last for a long.

“If the protest of people against the new leadership increases, we will witness creation of a new opposition and this opposition will emerge from the members of the current ruling coalition,” Ia Antadze of Radio Liberty told Civil Georgia.

The situation is expected to become clearer after President Saakashvili’s arrival from the United States on February 27. He has a final say over dispute.