President accepts special session on economic issues

The President has accepted the opposition’s demand and scheduled a special parliamentary session concerning the country’s economic situation on March 13.

President Giorgi Margvelashvili invited the county’s economic team, as well as the leadership of the National Bank of Georgia to the session.

However, holding the occasion is at question mark, as the Georgian Dream majority doesn’t approve of the session, and believes that economic issues might be discussed within parliamentary committees. The government members do not have a legal obligation to attend such a session through the parliament’s regalement.

Following the president’s announcement, Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili stated that a committee hearing regarding economic issues is scheduled at the end of the week.

“This is more of a working format that the special session initiated by the opposition. We will listen to the economic field ministers, the government’s plans and intentions. The opposition will ask questions,” Usupashvili said.

The majority assures that the opposition United National Movement is less interested in settling Georgia’s economic problems, and more interested in its own PR.

Following the development and repeated demands of the opposition concerning the extraordinary session, procedures for calling such a session might become more complicated.

Majority MP Zviad Dzidziguri states that the regalement requires refinement, as the opposition might demand calling of such sessions “every five minutes” without real grounds.

Meanwhile, the UNM was happy with the president’s solution. The party members stated that the people should be given information concerning the current economic crisis.

The UNM initially appealed to the president to call a special session concerning the national currency devaluation that has seen 29% of its value against the USD decrease in February.

However, the president turned down the request, saying that the government should have been given time to implement their plan before March 5, following the consultations with the International Monetary Fund representations.

However, while the government failed to reveal the plan, the opposition made a repeated demand. The opposition Free Democrats also raised the same appeal.

Meanwhile, the UNM claims that the current authorities are incompetent and announced a street rally on Rustaveli Avenue on March 21 to organize unrest with the final aim to change the government.