“When you do not attend, do not work, and do not engage in parliamentary activities, there will be appropriate consequences,” stated Gia Volski, First Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, in response to the Procedural Committee’s upcoming discussion on potentially terminating the parliamentary mandates of members from the Gakharia for Georgia party.

Volski emphasized that specific measures are necessary for violations of parliamentary regulations.

“If I oppose mandate suspension, I have no grounds because regulations are in place. It does not matter which party I represent—violating these regulations requires appropriate action. Missing a session without proper justification might result in a deduction of one day’s salary. While this is a minor penalty, decisions must align with the situation at hand. Non-attendance and lack of participation inevitably lead to consequences. Other mechanisms, such as parliamentary immunity, are also in place—if a crime is confirmed, immunity can be suspended to meet legal requirements. Mandate suspension is acceptable but is not related to the potential crime committed. Other legal procedures govern such issues. How guilty someone is should not be decided by the political team; regardless of how well-argued our materials are, the investigation and court must determine guilt,” Volski explained.