MPs to Vote on Constitutional Changes in end-March
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 26 Feb.'13 / 15:03

Georgian Dream-proposed constitutional amendment on presidential powers will be put to the vote in the Parliament before the end of March, PM Ivanishvili said on Tuesday.

In an open letter the Prime Minister called on President Saakashvili to give his “clear-cut response” in next two or three days whether he supports or not proposed constitutional amendment offering to limit presidential power to sack sitting government and appoint new one without Parliament’s approval.

“The issue of power in the country is already decided, so I am not addressing you with a consideration that you are my political rival with whom I have something left to clarify,” PM says in his open letter to President Saakashvili.

“I see growing abyss between the society and your political team, which leads to complete marginalization even worthy members of this team; that’s the reason why I am addressing you. I am also addressing you because I do not deem it to be favorable for the country if past nine years are completely discredited. Authorities are accountable before the people and the people are responsible for their authorities. That’s why I am trying not everything and everyone to be crossed out, not everyone and everything to be stained, including Georgian people’s dignity and pride. That’s why I want us to somehow find a dignified solution and to tackle the past without excessive losses and to dedicate all of our energy to the future. That’s why I am struggling so much and trying to show you a solution that would help to pave the way towards resolving all the other problems in a civilized manner,” the letter reads.

“That’s why I have offered you in late December such a constitutional initiative, which should have been easy for you to accept (you could have even scored PR scores on it),” the PM says, adding it was the reason why GD engaged in talks with the UNM and “even agreed on such a form of amnesty [for officials] which would have been difficult to explain to the society.”

“But you have done everything not to let the process move into civilized, cooperative atmosphere. There can be only one reason behind it: you keep your team around you only through blackmailing and inciting perception of over exaggerated threat. Your goal is to hold the entire team accountable for crimes of separate members of your team and by doing so to strengthen unity within your ranks,” the PM says.

“But everything has its end. The constitutional amendments initiated by us will be put to the vote in the Parliament before the end of March.”

“This vote will really be a watershed. You can call my words either an ultimatum or a political generosity, but I declare unambiguously that those, who agree with this amendment, will continue serving the country; they will be given a chance to rectify their mistakes and to have better political future. Those, who reject this amendment, will assume full political responsibility for everything what any of your team member has committed during past nine years and will have to continue living with this burden,” Ivanishvili says.

He also says that the proposed constitutional amendment is related to “an epochal issue” and is about making a choice between “going forward or going backwards to the past”.

“Therefore, I will not accept [answers] like ‘yes, but’ or ‘not today, tomorrow’,” Ivanishvili writes. “What does expect those, who choose the past? Nothing special but relevant assessment from the society. What does expect those, who choose the future? Nothing special either, only a relevant appreciation from the society.”

“Until I am in politics, personally I will maximally refrain from my own assessments, but as soon as I become an ordinary member of the society (in not so distant future), I will spare no efforts in order not to let the society forget either to assess or to appreciate anyone,” the letter reads.

“I offer personally to you my last proposal,” the PM says addressing to the President, “state clearly and unambiguously within the next 2-3 days whether you reject or not constitutional dictatorship and whether you support or not to ban replacing government without Parliament’s approval. Your clear-cut response in advance is necessary to ensure that you do not start talking post-factum that you too were supporting this amendment.”

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