Parliament supports the extension of the state of emergency until May 22nd
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Thursday, April 23
The state of emergency in Georgia has been extended until May 22nd. After the government announced this on April 21st, the President addressed Parliament, the Bureau submitted a draft resolution to Parliament, which approved the order of the President - 97 MPs voted in favour of the continuation of the state of emergency in the country at the special session of the plenary sitting yesterday, 10 - against.
In addition to the 85 deputies of the Georgian Dream, the supporters were non-partisan (7), independent (3) and MPs of the Patriots Alliance (2). Opponents include: Independent (2), European Georgia (7) and Patriots Alliance (1) MPs.
The biggest opposition party in the Parliament - European Georgia - did not attend the sitting in protest. The party called on the government to present a crisis plan to support the state of emergency. The government's position is that this document will be submitted on April 24th after the state of emergency.
The state of emergency in Georgia has been in force since March 21st. Opposition parties also backed the bill a month ago.
President Salome Zurabishvili spoke at the plenary session about the need to continue the state of emergency. According to Zurabishvili, some are now asking for an anti-crisis plan, which everyone sees as necessary, but in her words, “this legitimate demand should not be a reason to delay the continuation of the state of emergency."
She says, no country has a ‘miraculous, complex anti-crisis plan,’ however, the need to continue the state of emergency is still there.
According to Natia Mezvrishvili, Head of the Administration of the Government of Georgia, it is necessary to continue the state of emergency until May 22nd to maintain the current epidemiological picture and to promote a stable tendency to reduce the incidence of infections.
"With early prevention and proper management, we have been able to avoid the dire consequences that many countries have failed to achieve, so today it is important for us to maintain the state of emergency, or at least try to maintain the status quo,” Mezvrishvili said during an extraordinary sitting of the parliament.
She cites epidemiologists, according to whom the peak of the spread of the virus is expected at the end of April, in the first 2 weeks of May, so it is important that the state of emergency and restrictions remain in place. According to Mezvrishvili, it is necessary to continue the state of emergency in order to start the economy in time and step by step.
The government says that lifting of some restrictions, including the movement restrictions, will begin starting April 27th.
Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze stated that curfew is likely to continue until mid-May.
Yesterday, the Committee on Legal Affairs of the Parliament of Georgia considered the draft amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses of Georgia.
According to the bill, Article 42-10 of the Code of Administrative Offenses will establish a norm on isolation and violation of the karate rule, when there is no state of emergency. In that case, the sanction for violating the rules of isolation and quarantine will be fined GEL 2000 for an individual and a fine of ?GEL 10,000 for a legal entity.
According to Anri Okhanashvili, Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee, there is a separate definition of administrative violation, when the rule of quarantine and self-isolation is violated during a state of emergency.
This regime will be defined by a decree of the government and violation of all these regulations will lead to administrative offenses as well as the responsibility of individuals and legal entities, however, the sanction is indicated based on the president's decree.
Whatever the President's decree stipulates, the proceedings will be completed and conducted further. Article 177-15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses will regulate this norm.
According to the explanatory note to the bill, in case the draft law is submitted for consideration, changes will be made in the Code of Administrative Offenses of Georgia, which will prevent the spread of the Coronavirus and other similar threats and, consequently, protect the health and life of people living in Georgia.
It’s important that due to the threat of the ?Coronavirus in Georgia, traffic is prohibited until April 27th and it’s allowed to use vehicles only in case of having special permit, given to the workers of the companies/hospitals that have to operate during a pandemic. Besides, the population in regions engaged in agriculture can also get a permit to drive a car 3 hours a day.
As of the evening of April 22nd, 416 people have been infected with COVID-19 in Georgia, 107 among them recovered, 5 - dead.
