Parliament Endorses Credentials of New MP

On February 18, the Parliament of Georgia endorsed the credentials of Valeri Gelashvili, a new MP from the ruling Georgian Dream–Democratic Georgia party, with 82 votes in favor and none against.

Valeri Gelashvili replaced Karlo Kopaliani, who was suspended of his mandate at the Parliament’s February 5 session. Kopaliani was appointed as the Head of Administration of Georgian Technical University. According to the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, the position is incompatible with a lawmaker’s status.

Businessman Valeri Gelashvili was a member of the Parliament of three (5th, 6th and 8th) convocations. He was Georgian Dream’s majoritarian MP from Khashuri single-mandate constituency in the Parliament of the 8th convocation. Gelashvili also ran as a majoritarian MP from the same constituency in 2016 but failed to garner enough votes.

Valeri Gelashvili had a conflict with the previous government. In July 2005, he was attacked in retaliation for his June 2005 newspaper interview in which he accused then President Saakashvili of seizing his property, and voiced insults against Saakashvili and his family.

On August 5, 2014, the Prosecutor’s Office brought charges against Georgia’s ex-President over beating Gelashvili. In June 2018, Tbilisi City Court delivered guilty verdict against Saakashvili and sentenced him to six years in prison with a 2 years and 3 months ban on holding public office.

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