Nominees talk about their future plans…
By Ana Robakidze
Wednesday, October 10
The Georgian Dream (GD) creates working groups to send to the different ministries and study the situation. Both GD and the United National Movement (UNM) confirmed that the groups will not be authorized to participate in the decision-making process or be involved in the daily work of state institutions. The only task the coalition representatives will have is to become familiar with the working process in the government.
“For the next two weeks they (groups) will be our (GD coalition) representatives in the ministries. Groups will become familiar with the current staff and budgetary issues” David Usufashvili commented.
The names of the group members have not been announced yet. However, the governing party has already received a list of the representatives. Anyone from the coalition can be presented as a working group member, including ministerial nominees themselves and their representatives.
Some of the ministerial nominees already have a firm idea of what should be their first steps after entering the cabinet. Irakli Gharibashvili who is going to take the post of Minister of Internal Affairs announced that reorganization and some changes in the system structure are planned. Allegedly, the Constitutional Security Department and Special Operations Department will be abolished. However, journalists have been informed that consultations are still ongoing and a final decision will be made later.
Amiran Gamkrelidze, nominee for the post of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs has already held several meetings at the ministry. He commented that these meetings were unofficial. Irakli Alasania has not yet appeared at the Ministry of Defense. However, his representative, Vakhtang Kapanadze, visited the institution in order to arrange future meetings with the heads of the departments.
Tea Tsulukiani, who is a nominee for the Minister of Justice, talked about her plans in her TV interview. Tsulukiani is going to initiate wide reforms in the system, which will affect the Criminal Code, the court and plea agreements. In addition, all notorious crimes are going to be investigated. Tsulukiani made a promise that she will keep in permanent contact with society and her ministry will be as “open and public” unlike in previous times. Tsulukiani also has very precise plans about pleas agreements which are used very frequently by the prosecutor’s office. Such agreements are going to remain. However, plea bargains in “trades for freedom” will be halted.
The Georgian Dream coalition, as a supporter of the parliamentary system, is considering applying the appropriate changes to the constitution. “The model (of government) offered by the constitution does not come in accordance with world standards,” David Usufashvili commented in an interview with Maestro TV, referring to an amended version of the Georgian Constitution which is going to enter into power only after October 2013. He confirms that changes will not be made instantly and that it requires a long working process involving “true” consultations with citizens and creating a special working group to make draft of amendments.
