Government has proposed to amend a legislation which, if approved by the Parliament, will grant PM Bidzina Ivanishvili power to appoint provincial governors in an agreement with the President.

Currently governors are appointed by the President in consultation with Prime Minister.

President Saakashvili appointed new governors in four provinces on October 16, nine days before the new government, led by PM Ivanishvili, took the office.
 
Change in rule of appointment of governors requires amendment to the law on government’s authority and structure, which now says that a governor should be appointed by the President in consultations with PM.

The new government was initially considering offering a draft giving the PM full authority over appointing and dismissing governors, excluding the role of the President. But such option could have been in conflict with the constitution, which says that governors carry out representation of both the President and the government in the regions.

In his address to an inaugural session of the new Parliament on October 21, President Saakashvili called to make post of governor directly elected. The Georgian Dream coalition’s pre-election program, envisages making executive posts in local self-government bodies directly elected.