Ruling Party not Unanimous on Probe into Murder Cases

A parliamentary vote to set up a special investigative commission to probe into the high-profile murder cases of Sandro Girgvliani and Amiran Robakidze has revealed certain disagreements within the ruling National Movement party, the Georgian daily Rezonansi reported on February 19.

A proposal of the opposition lawmakers to set up a parliamentary investigative commission was turned down by the ruling majority on February 16, but some lawmakers from the ruling party, mainly those with close links to Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze, voted for setting up the commission, according to Rezonansi.

Those lawmakers from the ruling majority who voted in favor of the commission include Lado Papava, Zviad Dolidze, Kote Beridze, Davit Bazgadze, Zurab Davitashvili and Roin Janashia, according to the newspaper.

Parliamentary debates over the issue coincided with Burjanadze?s visit to Canada, hence she was absent. But on February 13 she told the parliamentary session that Georgian courts should shed light on the Girgvliani murder case ?in a way expected by society.?

Some lawmakers from the ruling party have already criticized those colleagues from the ruling party who voted in favor of the commission.

?If these people think that the commission should be set, up they should come out and speak publicly about their position,? MP Nika Gvaramia from the National Movement told the Georgian Public Broadcaster on February 18.

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