About Civil.ge
Eng | Geo | Rus
Last updated: 10:55 - 1 May.'18
RSS
Mobile
Twitter
Facebook
Orthodox Church Weighs in Local Self-Governance Reform Debate
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 4 Dec.'13 / 22:59

Government-proposed draft law on local self-governance reform is a “threat” because it will cause Georgia’s “disintegration”, head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II, said on December 4 and vowed to prevent the bill from being adopted.

The bill, which is based on a concept first unveiled by the government more than nine months ago, envisages mechanism promoting more engagement of locals in decision-making on the local level. It also introduces direct election of mayors of at least seventeen towns (now only capital city Tbilisi’s mayor is elected directly), as well as heads of all municipalities; the reform is expected to lead into division of existing municipalities and increasing their number from current 69 to about 120.

“The Parliament and the government are discussing local self-governance law. This is rather difficult issue. If implemented, it will lead us to Georgia’s disintegration. We will never tolerate it and we will do everything possible in order not to have it implemented,” Patriarch Ilia II said during a sermon in the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta outside Tbilisi.

“Georgia has been and will be united nation, single state and we should remember that when the government was strong and regions [united] around it the country was strong too. We believe that each and every district [raioni – or municipality] should be directly linked to the [central] government. The government should know the problems existing in each and every district; no intermediate link is needed for that purpose; the [central] government should itself consider hardship of each district, it should study what each district needs and the government itself should be trying to address problems existing in districts,” he said.

“For some reasons some try to hastily pass this law on the local self-governance. I think, the Church thinks, that it should be discussed with the people; the people should consider whether it is acceptable and whether it is good for Georgia. So we should not hurry… I would like to respectfully ask our parliament and government to take into consideration this threat and not to hurry with adoption of this [bill on local self-governance],” Patriarch Ilia II said.

Patriarch’s remarks both in respect of “threat of disintegration” and “attempts to hastily” adopt the bill echoes allegations which have been voiced recently by some non-parliamentary opposition parties.

“This artificial division [of municipalities], which the government calls de-centralization, may create serious problems in terms of separatism,” Giorgi Akhvlediani of Christian-Democratic Movement said on December 4.

Responding to this criticism of the draft of some non-parliamentary opposition parties, parliament speaker Davit Usupashvili said earlier on December 4 before the Patriarch’s remarks: “Notion that the self-governance somehow poses threat to the integrity of the country is complete nonsense.”

“Did absence of de-centralization and self-governance prevented separatism in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali? It’s a wrong notion that self-governance can incite separatism. Separatism is incited by lack of rights,” Usupashvili said.

Commenting on Patriarch’s remarks, a lawmaker from the Georgian Dream parliamentary majority group Zviad Dzidziguri of the Conservative Party, said later on December 4: “There is no threat whatsoever of country’s disintegration in this draft [law on local self-governance].”

“The Patriarchate, I think, simply lacks information [about the draft law]. The Patriarchate needs to be more informed and we will do that,” he said.

Latest News
01 May.'18 10:55
We Have Moved to a New Platform
Direct Your Bookmarks to https://civil.ge.
29 Apr.'18 03:54
Ruling Party Candidate Wins MP By-Elections
Givi Chichinadze will represent Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency in the Parliament of Georgia.
28 Apr.'18 09:40
Polls Open for Vani and Khoni MP By-Elections
48,123 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency.
27 Apr.'18 17:23
State Dept’s Europe Affairs Point Man to Visit Tbilisi
Wess Mitchell will meet senior government officials and address the NATO-Georgia Public Diplomacy Forum.
27 Apr.'18 13:45
In Quotes: Georgian Politicians on Ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Comeback
Bidzina Ivanishvili will be approved as the Georgian Dream party chairman at the upcoming convention.
26 Apr.'18 18:15
SG Jens Stoltenberg: Georgia NATO’s ‘Very Close’ Partner
The NATO Secretary General says Foreign Ministers meeting tomorrow will recognize the country’s progress.
26 Apr.'18 14:24
Ex-PM Ivanishvili to Chair Georgian Dream Party
Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said Ivanishvili was ‘best equipped’ to add new dynamism to the party.
26 Apr.'18 11:12
Lawmaker Proposes Criminal Liability for ‘Insult of Religious Feelings’
The parliamentary human rights committee decided to set up a working group for scrutinizing the draft law.
25 Apr.'18 17:21
New Abkhaz Government Head Appointed
Gennady Gagulia has served as the Abkhaz “prime minister” twice - in 1995-1997, and 2002-2003.
25 Apr.'18 14:43
Watchdog Improves Georgia’s Press Freedom Ranking
None of the countries of the former Soviet Union (except the Baltics) are ranked ahead of Georgia.

About Civil Georgia
Civil.Ge © 2001-2025, Daily News Online
Registered office: 2 Dolidze Str, 4-th Floor.
17