Opposition call for widespread cabinet resignations after Ministers' week

The summarizing day of the Ministers’ Week was strenuous at Parliament on March 30. Accusing the Government of failing to introduce adequate projects for development, Giorgi Targamadze leader of Christian-Democrats Parliamentary faction suggested the withdrawal of the entire cabinet of Ministers. He wondered how they would succeed in promoting the country in future. “The Government is a collegial body which is responsible for the success and failures of individual members. We can’t see any successful fields in our country; on the contrary, the Government chaired by PM Nika Gilauri would endanger the development of our country through the current political-economical course,” Targamadze told the media.

Proposing their initiatives on the improvement of the business environment and the implementation of agricultural programs, CDM demanded modification of the tariff policy, improvement of gaps in the penitentiary department`s healthcare system and de-politicization of the police. “We are the Government’s mirror: when they look inside the mirror and see drawbacks they shouldn’t be angry, but rather try to improve their faults,” CDM member Levan Vepkhvadze said at the debates hoping that the Ministers would consider his advice.

Most opposition MPs shared opinions about the Government stressing they couldn’t see particular projects defined by Ministers against the problems in Georgia. Accusing the Government of ignoring their obligations towards the state, Jondi Bagaturia leader of Georgian Troupe encouraged them to make necessary steps for dealing with the difficulties within the country. Gia Tsagareishvili MP from Our Georgia – Free Democrats said the most part of Ministers should go to prisons themselves due to their mistakes. “There are mistakes made in the healthcare, agricultural, educational sectors where unwise reforms are being passed under compulsion. Each field is being monopolized and the prices are catastrophically increasing,” Tsagareishvili said worrying that 80% of the Georgian population can’t afford the healthcare services with their living minimum of GEL 160.

Talking of the hard living conditions people are facing at conflict zones MP worried that Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region looks more like the “criminal wild west” rather that “so much beloved Singapore in the South Caucasus.”

Majority MP Nugzar Tsiklauri accused Tsagareishvili of ignorance and denied his claim. Tsiklauri recollected how these regions had been oppressed by the “wild gangs” who used to burn and devastate Georgia in past times.

In his summarizing report, PM Nika Gilauri expressed his disappointment towards the opposition's criticism. Hoping to hear alternative plans for dealing with the difficulties, Gilauri spoke of the challenges Georgia is facing nowadays. “I introduced you to the 10-point strategic development plan and hoped to hear controversies about this issue. I have said and will still stress that I’m ready to discuss this plan with any opponents in any situation,” PM said hoping that the society would make fair justification. Talking of the serious success the country has achieved on the economical level, Gilauri welcomed the decreased prices on medicines at pharmacies, to overcome unemployment, to provide cheap gas and electricity, etc.

Majority MPs said the Government had defined comprehensive, systematic and successive projects. Accusing the opposition in being “disoriented in space and environment” ruling United National Movement (UNM) members spoke of Georgia’s chances of becoming a leading state not only in the region but the whole of Europe. “The path we have defined offers our citizens to act instead of talk about the issues, while the opposition is doing the opposite. It’s impossible to deal with all the problems alone; we want to take care of Georgia’s development with you but it needs serious engagement not criticism,” First Deputy Chairman Mikheil Machavariani told his opponents. Encouraging them to better familiarize themselves with the PM’s strategic plan, the leader of Majority Petre Tsiskarishvili stressed that this plan would be the easiest path to Georgia’s promotion, economical development, overcoming unemployment and dealing with inflation.

Talking of the debates as a unique part of the political process, Ministers spoke of the high rate of democratization in Georgia. Welcoming the difference of opinions and viewpoints, the executive body said they would continue reforms for the countries development. “The main aim of the debates is to inform the society about the problems the country is facing nowadays and become aware of the Governmental strategy against the drawbacks. But the most important is to define the ways of overcoming the obstacles and see how the Parliament and the Government would assist the people in solving the most burning issues,” Parliamentary Chairman Davit Bakradze stated.

Summarizing the Ministers’ Week political analyst Soso Tsiskarishvili said the Ministers had tried to be more responsible towards the Parliament, but their meeting turned into a joyful game. “Georgian people had a wonderful opportunity to hear arguments from the two opposing sides: the opposition criticized the executive body and Majority MPs advocated the Ministers,” the analyst told The Messenger comparing the debates with a pre-election campaign." I felt as if the Ministers had familiarized themselves with the problems only on that morning while all of them claimed they knew all the drawbacks quite well. If they really did so why didn’t they do anything to solve the problems in our country before?” Tsiskarishvili wondered.