A Bill Disliked by the President’s Administration May be Withdrawn
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, December 17
A bill which changes the status of the employees of the President of Georgia administration, initiating administrative contracts with them, may be withdrawn due to the backlash from the presidential administration and the civil sector.
Head of Parliament’s Procedural Committee Giorgi Kakhiani says that the bill which offers the removal of the status of public servants from the staff of the president’s administration is disliked by many even in the Georgian Dream ruling party.
“I do not approve the changes as we have a high-level administrative law which was adopted based on the local and foreign recommendations. Adoption of the law played its role for Georgia’s visa liberalization with the EU and no such amendment should be made in the law which might affect its image,” Kakhiani said.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze says that the reorganization at the presidential administration is “inevitable” and the status of its employees should be determined.
“The draft bill aimed to carry out the reorganization properly, but the implementation of the reorganization at Presidential Administration is possible without these amendments. Those people, who deserve the status of public servants should maintain this status at the Administration of President.
“The reorganization must be carried out unconditionally. It is inevitable and the status of each employee should be determined, each of them will have a professional status, someone will be employed by the contract,” Kobakhidze said.
The administration of former president Giorgi Margvelashvili stood against the law and stated that if adopted the changes would leave the administration employees without genuine levers of protection.
The administration also claimed that the initiation of the changes several days before the inauguration of the new president could be related to the wish to easily dismiss the current staff of the presidential administration.
There are 140 people employed at the president’s administration.
Kobakhidze says that their number will be decreased to 60 as the president is no-longer a decision-maker in the country, based on the new constitution.
