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Parliament confirms new Gov’t

By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, November 28
After hours of hearings and question and answer sessions in the newly elected legislative body of Georgia, Parliament confirmed the country’s new Government late on Saturday, during an extraordinary session appointed by the President.

Prior to voting, two opposition parties in the 150-member legislative body - the United National Movement with 27 seats and the Alliance of Patriots with 6 seats - said they did not intend to vote for Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and the 18-member Cabinet of Ministers.

With 110 votes for 19 against, the new Government of Georgia was confirmed.

The UNM has criticized the Government of undertaking a bad economic policy, as well as claiming it is responsible for the national currency's devaluation and remains loyal to Russia, while the Alliance of Patriots said the Government “failed to present concrete steps” as to how Georgia could reintegrate its currently occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.

The Prime Minister and the new Cabinet needed the support of at least 76 lawmakers to be approved, when the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia gained 115 seats after last-month’s Parliamentary Elections and one of two majoritarian MPs also gathered the majority at the Parliament’s first session on November 18.

Before being approved, Kvirikashvili and ministers reported to the Parliamentary committees, the majority and minority, and answered their questions.

Kvirikashvili presented the Government’s 2016-2020 Action Plan before the legislative body and stressed that the plan was focused on the country’s rapid development and providing welfare for each Georgian citizen, when over the past four years the Georgian Dream authorities were eager to protect human rights and meet key public demands, mainly in terms of social and economic issues.

Kvirikashvili stated that the Government’s future intentions were mainly focused on the earlier offered Four Point Reform Agenda, which referred to new tax benefits, infrastructure plans, governance reforms and an overhaul of the education system.

The Prime Minister dismissed the UNM statements that the national currency's devaluation was the Government’s fault.

He said the situation in terms of the national currency was “in accordance with current situation in the region”.

He also denied accusations that the Government-offered infrastructural plan was unrealistic.

Kvirikashvili vowed that from January 1 2017, businesses wouldn’t be taxed if they reinvested their incomes.

He pledged that the Government would continue financing start-up businesses and decriminalise certain economic offences.

He also promised that the Government would decrease administrative expenses.

Kvirkashvili highlighted the constructing of road infrastructure worth 3.5 billion USD would be completed before 2020, the building of the Anaklia Port would start and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway would come into full play from 2017.

The PM also promised the continuation of General Healthcare Programme, Hepatitis C Elimination Program, Agro Insurance Program, Universal Internet Program, mountainous regions’ support program and several others launched in previous years.

With regards to foreign policy priorities, Kvirikashvili stressed the importance of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Integration and a pragmatic policy with Russia, but not at the expense of Georgia’s territorial integrity.

He also stressed the Government would continue to add new programs to encourage the reconciliation process with the residents of de-facto Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.