Parliament voted down on August 1 two candidates for Supreme Court, nominated by President Giorgi Margvelashvili, who described lawmakers’ decision as “absolutely incomprehensible.”

Nino Bakakuri and Zurab Dzlierishvili, nominees for two vacant seats in the Supreme Court, received 29 and 27 votes, respectively, far short of at least 76 required for endorsement.

GD lawmaker Zakaria Kutsnashvili said that opinion within the parliamentary majority group over these nominations was “divided” and no meeting of the GD lawmakers was held to agree on a joint position over this issue. MP Kutsnashvili asked for brief consultations just before the vote, but his proposal was not shared by his colleagues from the parliamentary majority factions. 

“I am frankly surprised at what has happened with respect to [Supreme Court] judge [nominees], especially in the circumstances, when the entire world is watching our judiciary closely,” President Margvelashvili told journalists on August 1.

“I want to say that the President of Georgia and its administration selected judge [nominees] based on [their] impartiality, political neutrality and professionalism. Candidates nominated by us, who – I want to emphasize – received support at the [parliamentary] committee hearings, were then voted down at the plenary session.”

He suggested that blaming lack of coordination within the GD parliamentary majority group over the issue was not an excuse as nominees were endorsed by the parliamentary committee for human rights at its session on July 23.

“Committee hearing is an adequate place for coordination. Therefore, it is absolutely incomprehensible for me why the Parliament voted down professional, impartial and exemplary judge [nominees],” President Margvelashvili said.