Parliament has voted 87 to zero to approve a draft resolution establishing the parliamentary selection committee tasked with vetting candidates for the Board of Trustees of the Public Broadcaster.

The nine-member selection committee will comprise Givi Abesadze, Mariam Gvidiani, Rozeta Gujejiani, Tamar Kekenadze, Davit Maghlaperidze, Ermile Meskhia, Nino Meunargia, Sofio Nikolaishvili, and Shorena Shaverdashvili.

The draft resolution was presented by the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili. The speaker noted that although upcoming amendments to the parliamentary rules of procedure will eliminate the need for a future selection committee, these new regulations will not take effect until July 1.

“I am presenting a draft resolution under the existing rules, which we are changing for future appointments. I must emphasise that the new procedural amendments will take effect from July 1. Consequently, they do not apply to the current vacancy selection on the Public Broadcaster’s board.

Therefore, I put forward this draft resolution to approve the composition of the parliamentary selection committee for the Board of Trustees. The committee consists of nine members: Givi Abesadze, Mariam Gvidiani, Rozeta Gujejiani, Tamar Kekenadze, Davit Maghlaperidze, Ermile Meskhia, Nino Meunargia, Sofio Nikolaishvili, and Shorena Shaverdashvili. The members were chosen following consultations with the relevant stakeholders, namely those bodies with the statutory right to nominate candidates: the parliamentary majority, the parliamentary opposition, the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, and the Public Defender,” Papuashvili stated.

For context, an open competition to select three members for the Board of Trustees of the Public Broadcaster was officially launched on June 2, following an order issued by the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili.