The News in Brief
Tuesday, December 12
Georgian Parliament Green lights PM’s Structural Reform Plan
(TBILISI) -- The Georgian Parliament has approved government-initiated package of legislative amendments aimed at drastically overhauling the organization of several ministries and state agencies.
The wholesale changes will see several key agencies merged abolished or reorganized. The Energy and Economy and Sustainable Development ministries will be unified, while the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection will be divided and its natural resource management component will be transferred to the Economy Ministry, while the environmental component will become part of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs will also be abolished, with its youth component merged into the Ministry of Education and Science, and the sports component will come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection.
A new Emergency Management Center will be established through the merger of the Emergency Management Agency and the State Security and Crisis Management Council under the prime minister.
The restructuring initially included a plan to merger the Foreign Intelligence Service with the State Security Service, but the proposal was met with widespread condemnation of the ruling Georgian Dream party, who was accused of attempting to revive the Soviet-era KGB.
The changes still require a formal vote from the parliament and a new state budget before the end of the year.
(Civil.ge)
Former Georgian Opposition Party Leader Summoned by Prosecutor's Office
(TBILISI) – Georgia’s Prosecutor General on Monday summoned Paata Burchuladze, the former chairman of the State for People opposition political party, for questioning regarding embezzlement charges connected one of his charities.
Burchuladze gained fame as an internationally recognized opera singer in the Soviet Union and latter in independent Georgia. Prior to embarking on a brief political career, he devoted much of his free time to civil activism and charitable work.
(IPN)
Giorgi Margvelashvili urges Prime Minister and Education Minister to reform school
President Giorgi Margvelashvili urged the Prime Minister and the Education Minister to reform the school.
"Aggression and evil cannot be suppressed by aggression, it can be defeated only by love. I want to emphasize the need to be more tolerant towards each other and to resolve all issues through tolerant upbringing. Mr. Prime Minister and Mr. Minister, important reforms should be carried out for this in school. As a former minister of education, I can say that there are many problems that need to be solved, but the only way to solve them is to strengthen teachers and raise their authority in the society”, said Margvelashvili.
He also spoke about resources officers of the school.
“Fortunately, I maintained this service, which is very important for the school. But we also need to know that resources officers are assistants to teachers and not law enforcers. They cannot play the role of law enforcers in school,” said Giorgi Margvelashvili.
(IPN)
(TBILISI) -- The Georgian Parliament has approved government-initiated package of legislative amendments aimed at drastically overhauling the organization of several ministries and state agencies.
The wholesale changes will see several key agencies merged abolished or reorganized. The Energy and Economy and Sustainable Development ministries will be unified, while the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection will be divided and its natural resource management component will be transferred to the Economy Ministry, while the environmental component will become part of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs will also be abolished, with its youth component merged into the Ministry of Education and Science, and the sports component will come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection.
A new Emergency Management Center will be established through the merger of the Emergency Management Agency and the State Security and Crisis Management Council under the prime minister.
The restructuring initially included a plan to merger the Foreign Intelligence Service with the State Security Service, but the proposal was met with widespread condemnation of the ruling Georgian Dream party, who was accused of attempting to revive the Soviet-era KGB.
The changes still require a formal vote from the parliament and a new state budget before the end of the year.
(Civil.ge)
Former Georgian Opposition Party Leader Summoned by Prosecutor's Office
(TBILISI) – Georgia’s Prosecutor General on Monday summoned Paata Burchuladze, the former chairman of the State for People opposition political party, for questioning regarding embezzlement charges connected one of his charities.
Burchuladze gained fame as an internationally recognized opera singer in the Soviet Union and latter in independent Georgia. Prior to embarking on a brief political career, he devoted much of his free time to civil activism and charitable work.
(IPN)
Giorgi Margvelashvili urges Prime Minister and Education Minister to reform school
President Giorgi Margvelashvili urged the Prime Minister and the Education Minister to reform the school.
"Aggression and evil cannot be suppressed by aggression, it can be defeated only by love. I want to emphasize the need to be more tolerant towards each other and to resolve all issues through tolerant upbringing. Mr. Prime Minister and Mr. Minister, important reforms should be carried out for this in school. As a former minister of education, I can say that there are many problems that need to be solved, but the only way to solve them is to strengthen teachers and raise their authority in the society”, said Margvelashvili.
He also spoke about resources officers of the school.
“Fortunately, I maintained this service, which is very important for the school. But we also need to know that resources officers are assistants to teachers and not law enforcers. They cannot play the role of law enforcers in school,” said Giorgi Margvelashvili.
(IPN)