The Special State Protection Service (SSPS) will be transferred under the government’s subordination, but a separate unit will be established specifically for providing security for an incumbent President, which will be under the presidential control, according to legislative amendment passed by the Parliament with its third and final reading on January 18.

SSPS, which was fully under the President’s subordination, is in charge of providing security to high-ranking officials, as well as security of various state facilities and buildings.

Initially the Georgian Dream parliamentary majority initiated legislative amendments offering to transfer SSPS entirely from President to government’s subordination, triggering UNM’s and President Saakashvili’s protest. The amendment was even passed with its first and second reading, but later GD and UNM reached an agreement on compromise proposal and the draft was returned back to the stage of second hearing and consequently amended.

As a result a separate presidential security service will be established, which will be under President Saakashvili’s subordination, while rest of the SSPS will move under the government’s control. The new agency will be in charge of providing security solely to sitting president and presidential family.

Parliamentary Chairman Davit Usupashvili said after the amendment was confirmed on January 18 that it was a result of lengthy consultations between Georgian Dream and UNM and welcomed that it was possible to achieve an agreement which “will not harm neither the service itself, nor political process and entities” to which the service provides security.