Prepared by Messenger Staff
SJC Criticizes Lack of Transparency in Kavelashvili's Pardons
The Social Justice Center (SJC) has expressed concerns over the recent pardon of 613 convicts by Georgian Dream (GD) President Mikheil Kavelashvili. The organization criticized the process as being closed and lacking transparency, raising doubts about its motivations.
In a statement, the SJC argued that the large-scale pardons, carried out shortly after Kavelashvili assumed office, create the impression that the president exercised this authority in a manner that served "arbitrary, narrow-party interests."
Under Georgian law, the power to pardon lies solely with the president, who is not required to justify their decisions or involve a review commission in the evaluation of cases. However, the SJC emphasized that this authority must align with principles of public accountability and transparency.
"The pardon act itself must respond to the basic principles of politics and public accountability," the SJC stated, adding that the process and criteria used to grant pardons should be disclosed to the public.
The organization highlighted several unanswered questions regarding the pardons:
- Crimes Pardoned: It remains unclear which offenses were included in the pardon.
- Review Process: There is no information about the procedures followed, the material reviewed, or the involvement of experts or commissions in the decision-making process.
- Refusals: The public has not been informed about how many pardon requests were denied or the reasoning behind the decisions.
Kobakhidze Announces New State Commission to Reform Higher Education
On January 20, Georgian Dream (GD) Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze unveiled plans for a new state commission on university reform, aiming to transform Georgia's higher education system over the next four years. Levan Izoria, the former Defense Minister and Ambassador to Germany, has been appointed as the Prime Minister's advisor on education and science to support the initiative.
Speaking at a government session, Kobakhidze acknowledged shortcomings in the current higher education system, describing its quality as "not satisfactory." He outlined the commission's mission to "qualitatively transform the university and higher education system" and stressed the need to fully leverage available resources to create a "fundamentally renewed system."
While emphasizing the importance of the reforms, Kobakhidze refrained from providing specific details about the commission's operational framework or the steps planned to achieve its objectives.
The commission will be chaired by Kobakhidze himself, with Education Minister Aleksandre Tsuladze serving as deputy chair. Levan Izoria will act as the commission's secretary in his capacity as an advisor on education and science.
