Davit Bakradze has become the second-highest-ranking official after the president. Photo: InterPressNews

Parliament unanimously elected at its inaugural session on June 7 Davit Bakradze as its new chairman.

“I fully understand the responsibility I have assumed,” Bakradze told lawmaker from the ruing party attending the session. “The priority will be to keep all those promises we made together with the government to the people… I will spare no efforts to have a strong parliament, to lead reforms and continue all those reforms which have been launched. We will have close cooperation with the government to implement our 50-month program.”

“I want to reach out the hand of cooperation to those parties which have cleared the 5% threshold… My priority will be cooperation with all political forces. We will create conditions that will foster strong positions for the opposition parties in the parliament.”

He also reiterated the ruling party’s readiness to offer opposition MPs several vice-speaker posts and positions in parliamentary committees.