Press Digest 12.09.2014

Who is Georgia’s Chief Executive?

Passions remain high in the region of Kobuleti

Who is Georgia’s Chief Executive?

“The argument regarding a delegation that is to be sent to the NATO Wales Summit has, in fact, morphed into an open confrontation between the state institutions. Yesterday, a final decision as per which Premier Gharibashvili will head Georgia’s delegation was made; as for the President, he claims that as a result of aim-oriented work, his visit to the US has been disrupted. This incident has given us food for thought; we have to think for a while to figure out who is a leader of the country – the President of the Prime Minister,” reports the Rezonansi gazette.

"Georgia is not a parliamentary republic; it is a semi-parliamentary country; Georgia is ruled by the President elected by the public. In a parliamentary republic a President is simply granted a post,” announces President Margvelashvili and adds that his goal is to bolster democracy in the country; however, in his words, in case of absolute unison, democracy loses its meaning and function. As for our constitutionalists, they define the country’s constitutional model as a cause of disagreements between the President and the Government. Constitutionalist Vakhtang Dzabiradze shares Mr. Margvelashvili’s position as per which Georgia is not a parliamentary republic to the core. One of the drafters of our constitution, Avtandil Demetrashvili, also agrees with this allegation,” reads the article.

"From my point of view, today we have a mixed system of ruling that is more inclined to the parliamentary system of Government. In our country, the President has almost totally been deprived of his executive function. However, he is a Commander-in-Chief; he presides over the Security Council and represents the country in the international scene. Today our President fulfills all these duties some of which obviously are not his functions in a parliamentary republic. Thus, today our country cannot be defined as a fully parliamentary republic, but it involves the core elements of this system,” declares Vakhtang Dzabiradze.

“Our constitution has been subjected to a number of amendments involving the elements of the parliamentary republic. However, our country is not a parliamentary republic. All elements of our governance clearly indicate that Georgia has a mixed system of governance that in some countries can be defined as semi-parliamentary system. Thus, those who claim that our country is a parliamentary republic are, in fact, mistaken. In a parliamentary republic, a legislative body gives a President a vote of confidence and the President, from its part, is entitled to disband the parliament when a political crisis hits the country. However, in a presidential republic, the President is chosen by the people. A president, on his part, appoints ministers, and the Parliament is not entitled to declare its mistrust towards a Chief Executive,” states constitutionalist, Vakhushti Menabde.

“Despite the fact that the Head of our Government is a more powerful figure than the President in Georgia today, we cannot state that our country is a parliamentary republic,” concludes Mr. Menabde.

“We must hold responsible those constitutionalists who have drafted such an ugly document”

"An actively discussed topic has been finally closed – Giorgi Martgvelashvili’s visit to America has reportedly been cancelled. As the President claims, as a result of their aim-oriented work, his visit to the US has been disrupted. Prior to this, Georgia’s ex-PM Bidina Ivanishvili issued a statement in which he explained why Mr. Margvelashvili should not have headed Georgia’s delegation to the US,” reports the Akhali Taoba gazette.

“Magvelashvili’s desire to deliver a speech at the UN Assembly is nothing more than a strange whim. All these talks regarding some political climate changes are so insubstantial that the need to send the President to the US has really not emerged. Simply think on the issue for a while – at the Assembly, they will expand on such matters as the lack of oxygen across the world as well as the necessity to allocate financial resources to some countries. A great deal of countries, including such mammoth states as India and China, have even refused to participate in this event, and, accordingly, the President’s desire to lead the delegation was simply an attempt to demonstrate that he is the country’s chief executive who is entitled to it on such high-level forums,” states expert Vasil Maglaperidze.

“Georgia has become a parliamentary republic on the paper only; actually, this has been done in such an ugly way that you will be bewildered. When a country introduces a parliamentary system, it, first of all, must get rid of a president who had been elected by the people. This is a well-known axiom. And if you are interested in my opinion regarding this issue, I will say that they have done this deliberately … and we must hold accountable precisely those constitutionalists who have been involved in drafting such an ugly document… Today the country is ruled by the President with his people’s vote of confidence but without rights,” declares the respondent.

"I am sure that they encouraged Mr. Margvelashvili and told him not to take the steps he has taken. The President must see through to the intensions of these people and must realize that they aim to pit him and the government against each other. The fact that after Bidzina Ivanishvili’s statement, Margvelashvili reversed his decision to visit the U.S. is auspicious for us; thanks to this, the country will not be subjected to ridicule. Mr. Ivanishvili simply adequately assessed the situation and directly told them that by sending two delegations from Georgia to this high- level forum, they would have fixed an indelible blot of shame to their own country. And precisely thanks to Ivanishvili, we have avoided an international scandal and great shame,”announces Mr. Maglaperidze and to the remark that the ex-PM has also focused on the issue of bonuses…he replies:

“All these people having indulged in issuing those flagrantly boosted bonuses must be ashamed. They live in Georgia and they must know that they are not entitled to take such a step here. Ivanishvili understands this perfectly well and others also knew that their outrageous behavior would have triggered a massive backlash from the public...,” concludes the respondent.

Passions remain high in the region of Kobuleti

"Passions have been high in the region of Kobuleti for 2 days – some locals have staged protest rallies outside the building of Muslim Pantheon. As you know, on Wednesday, the activists found a slaughtered pig’s head nailed to the pantheon door. The Muslims have accused the local orthodox Christians, who crusade against their initiation to build the pantheon in the region, of insulting them in this way,’ reports the Rezonansi gazette.

"As a Mufti has emphasized, the Muslims have been deeply insulted by this incident. As per him, they stand a strong chance to be involved in a religious conflict. The officials of MIA have already launched an investigation into the case. As for the residents of Kobuleti, they don’t hide that they are dead set against building the pantheon; however, as per them, they are clueless regarding the fact who nailed the head of swine to the door of the pantheon. These people don’t also rule out that the head may have been nailed to the door by the Muslims themselves in order to deliberately stir the situation and heighten tensions in the region. The representatives of Georgia’s patriarchate have also condemned the incident; however, they also underscored that the issue of building the pantheon was not agreed with the Government of Georgia,” says the article.

“We are all Christians in the neighborhood; Muslims don’t live here and for whom on earth are they building this pantheon?! Certainly, we have to voice concerns regarding this preposterous move. At first reports went as if they planned to construct a minaret here, however, later we found out that this building was intended to be the Muslims’ pantheon, where the socially disadvantaged children are to be taught Islam. We are all Christians here, and, by all odds, we don’t approve this initiation of theirs. If at least 10 per cent of Muslims resided here, we would have understood this; we have nothing against their religion; it’s their right to be the followers of a religious conviction they desire. However, we don’t understand why a Turkish Mustafa pours finances in this building? Why the Muslims’ delegation in Georgia is not doing this?” asks a resident of Kobuleti, Zurab Rukhadze.

“Muslims Mufti in Georgia, Jemal Paksadze, appeals the acting authorities to respond to this incident as soon as possible. “They call and call endlessly, they ask us via phone or personally how they could have been so deeply insulted. And obviously this is a shameful act; we do call on the Prime Minister, the law enforcers as well the representatives of the country’s legislative body to adequately respond to this horrible incident as soon as possible,” announces Mr. Paksadze, in whose opinion, such pantheons produce educated people.