Georgia adopted Liberty Charter

On May 31, 2011 the Georgian parliament adopted a Liberty Charter with 81 votes. This legislative initiative came from MP Gia Tortladze and it is supported by the ruling party.

The above mentioned document is activating anti terrorist activities and targets removing communist period politicians from having an active political career. Some opposition members fear that this document could limit democracy but representatives of the ruling administration deny this and insist that it will promote democratic development in the country. They also highlight that it was initiated by an opposition MP. However many analysts challenge this connection with the opposition.

The document is also touching the issue of lustration meaning that former communist activists should not continue their political career. It should be said however that such people are becoming rarer and rarer because of their age, however there are certain people even in the ruling party who had some positions during the communist era in the young communist league (comsomol). So let us see how the hunting of communist witches will continue.

There is another issue in the document concerning the removal from public places of the symbols of communism and fascism. The freedom act also envisages an increase of anti terrorism activities in particular installing close circuit television facilities at the places of public gathering such as border checkpoints, airports, sea ports, railway stations, metro stations, bridges, administrative borders with occupied territories and other places.

It also gives the right to the Interior Ministry to monitor and check the cargo transported inside Georgia for the purposes of detecting weapons, ammunition and explosives. It enables the Ministry of Interior to check suspicious items as well. The document also enables appropriate bodies to check the legality of money transfers, targeting and combating terrorism as well as money laundering. Official bodies are happy with the document. Chair of the parliament David Bakradze thinks that document will secure the country’s safety and will not hinder democratic developments.