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Constitutional amendments proposed to protect property rights

By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)
Monday, March 17
On March 12, Justice Minister Nika Gvaramia announced a constitutional amendment to bolster property rights in Georgia.

According to the draft changes, a court ruling will be required before the state can confiscate private property, and compensation will be tax-free and based on market prices, according to the newspaper Rezonansi.

Property rights have been a hotly debated subject under the Rose Revolution administration after the government’s vigorous privatization drive drew criticism for, among other things, lack of a thorough appeals process.

Human Rights Ombudsman Sozar Subari recently submitted a draft law to parliament proposing an independent commission to deal with private property disputes. He says that it should deal not only with future disputes, but investigate past cases too.