Opposition parties agree on education and economic reforms

By Anastasia Sokhadze

Tuesday, September 29

Five parties sign the third part of the agreement at the NDI meeting in Borjomi, which includes economic and educational solutions.

Several issues are emphasized in the agreement, such as decentralization in education and strengthening the national currency.

The agreement, signed by several opposition parties, including Girchi, European Georgia, National Movement, Strategy Builder and United Georgia, states that after the defeat of the Georgian Dream in the 2020 parliamentary elections, extraordinary reforms will be carried out in the fields of economy and education in order to bring the economy out of the severe crisis and create new opportunities.

The main directions of the agreement are:

Economy - return of state property to citizens in private ownership;

1. Unregistered land plots, which are owned by people and no one disputes, will be registered as the property of the owner;

2. Unregistered land plots, which are, in fact, in the common ownership of a rural community or rural population and there is no claim of other people towards these plots, will be registered as property of the village/community;

3. State property - enterprises, land and minerals (except in exceptional cases), will be transferred to private ownership of citizens. All citizens will have an equal right to participate in this process.

Reducing government and bureaucracy

4. By the end of 2024 at the latest, the size of government will be reduced to 20% of GDP;

5. Mechanisms to prevent the devaluation of the national currency shall be developed within 100 days of coming to power.

Education

6. Private education will be exempt from state regulations;

7. Public schools will receive financial and governance autonomy.

The parties also signed a similar agreement on the judiciary and the justice system.

Strategy Builder's leader, Giorgi Vashadze, highlights several important issues, such as decentralization in education, relieving the sector of political pressure, property rights, and so on.

"Education needs to be decentralized, teachers should be valued, we should release them from political pressure, we should register property and people, people should not have land registration problems,” said Vashadze.

As for the opinion of Girchi leader Zurab Japaridze, he said that the factor of privatization and exemption of private institutions from state regulations is crucial.

“In the education system, it is important to agree that private educational institutions should be exempt from state regulation, and what remains public should have maximum autonomy, including financial autonomy,” said Japaridze.

Tina Bokuchava, a member of the United National Movement, says it is important to strengthen the national currency and reduce bureaucratic costs in the country.

The document sets out the vision for how to consolidate the national currency, which is depreciating daily.

The agreement is the third stage of the signing of a joint document by the opposition. The first was held in March and concerned the reorganization of the courts. The second was on September 16th, when the parties agreed on reforms in the SSU, the prosecutor's office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.