The Labor Party with its strong socialist stance supports free health care, education and social services. The Labors demand nationalization of the strategically important facilities.
The Labor Party, which was set up in 1995, is chaired by charismatic leader Shalva Natelashvili, who before the Rose Revolution was one of the most popular politicians in Georgia.
The party always lacked the pluralistic leadership and is not run collectively by a group of prominent individuals. The Labor Party is depended on the popularity of the one person – Shalva Natelashvili.
However, the November Rose Revolution was a blow for the party’s popularity, as Shalva Natelashvili condemned the popular revolution and criticized its leaders. As a result dozens of party activists withdrew their membership from the party, protesting against Natelashvili’s anti-revolutionary stance.
The Labor Party claims the party is ready to establish Europe-oriented, democratic, social welfare state. The party’s pre-election slogan reads: “Labor Party – Last Chance to Save Georgia.”
The Labor Party’s election platform suggests creation of a two-chamber Parliament – the Council of Republic, consisting of MPs elected through the proportional party list system, and the Senate, composed of MPs elected in the single-mandate constituencies. Under the program, the MPs will enjoy no immunity.
The Labor Party supports restriction of the President’s powers. “The President is the Head of State and Supreme Commander-in-Chief. However, he is not the head of the executive government. He cannot compose the government, appoint or dismiss ministers. The term of President’s office will be defined by four years,” Gela Danelia of the Labor Party says.
The main priority of the party’s economic program is nationalization of the illegally privatized facilities, particularly of those, which are of strategic importance.
Along with the return of the privatized strategic facilities the Labor Party plans to assist those depositors, who have accounts in the banks in Soviet period and consequently lost them after the break up of the Soviet Union.
In case of winning the 28 March parliamentary elections, the Labor Party pledges to increase salaries up to USD 150 and cover the pension backlog within a year. The party also vows to carry out the policy to boost a baby-boom in the country and supporting the just-married couples.
Labor Party proposes to set up the family’s survival fund, through which a new family will receive single allowance at GEL 1000, while each newborn will receive GEL 100 per month. The Labor Party also pledges to secure free education and free health care system.
The Labor Party advocates Georgia’s integration into European structures and the country’s accession into NATO.
As Gela Danelia says, “Georgia should have non-visa regime with Russia and other former Soviet countries, as well as with the member-states of the European Union.”