Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said that the Public Defender (Ombudsperson) and Chairman of the Chamber of Control ? the main state audit agency, should be elected within two weeks.
The position of the Public Defender is vacant for already 9 months. Former Public Defender Nana Devdariani was appointed by ex-President Shevardnadze as Chairperson of the Central Election Commission last year.
Former Chairman of the Chamber of Control Sulkhan Molashvili, ex-President Shevardnadze?s close ally, was arrested last month on charges of abuse of office.
The appointment of public defender, which should be elected by the Parliament, is dragged due to the anticipated amendments in the law on Public Defender.
The human rights advocacy NGO Liberty Institute works over the draft law, according to which Georgia will have four public defenders with separate functions.
However, MP Elene Tevdoradze, chairperson of the parliamentary committee for human rights, urged the parliamentary bureau today to appoint the public defender as soon as possible.