The commission on constitutional reforms has decided to take decisions on key issues, including on final draft of constitutional amendments with two-third majority vote, Avtandil Demetrashvili, the chairman of the commission, said on June 11.

After meeting with politicians participating in the work of the commission, Demetrashvili said that decisions on separate articles of the draft would also require two-third majority vote for endorsement. Final draft of the amendments will only go into force if approved by the Parliament.

Twenty parties have been invited by the President to participate in the work of the commission, but only six of them have so far accepted the invitation - the ruling National Movement; Christian-Democratic Movement; National-Democratic Party (NDP – co-leader MP Guram Chakhvadze); On Our Own (leader MP Paata Davitaia); Democratic Party of Georgia (leader MP Gia Tortladze) and Georgian Troupe (leader MP Jondi Bagaturia).

Avtandil Demetrashvili, a former chairman of the Constitutional Court, acknowledged that the commission would lack weight if most of the opposition parties refuse to participate.  

Apart of a representative of the ruling party, the authorities will have in the commission at least other 15 members as the President’s office, the parliament; the government; Supreme Council of Justice; Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; National Security Council; Chamber of Control and National Bank of Georgia are also eligible to participate in the work of the commission through their representatives.

About 20 representatives of the academic circles have also been invited, along with nine non-governmental organizations. The Public Defender’s Office is also eligible to nominate its representative in the commission.

Timeframes of the commission’s work remains unclear yet. The Christian-Democratic Movement has proposed recently that the draft should be tabled no later than December 31, 2009.