During the plenary session, the draft of the Parliament’s new Rules of Procedure successfully passed its first reading, garnering the support of 80 Members of Parliament. The proposal was presented by the Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili.

Papuashvili emphasized that the current Rules of Procedure, which were adopted in 2018, have undergone numerous amendments and now necessitate substantial improvement. Consequently, a new draft has been developed.

“The Rules of Procedure are a law signed by the Chairman of Parliament and do not require the President’s signature, reflecting the principle of parliamentary sovereignty. It is only logical that a new Parliament should establish its own rules. Notably, 90% of the text remains unchanged,” stated Papuashvili.

The new draft aims to enhance the procedural framework governing lawmaking, oversight, and other parliamentary activities. It consolidates procedural tools and eliminates existing redundancies.

Furthermore, it aligns procedures with constitutional mandates, particularly those about the inaugural session of a newly elected Parliament. This first session must convene no later than ten days after the official election results are announced and must be called by the President. Should the President fail to fulfil this duty, Parliament will automatically convene on the tenth day.

“This is a matter of principle concerning parliamentary sovereignty. No institution, save for the Central Election Commission, can interfere with the recognition of MPs’ powers,” declared Papuashvili.

• The draft also introduces revisions to committee names:
• The Agrarian Issues Committee is now the Agriculture Committee;
• The Sectoral Economy and Economic Policy Committee has become the Economic Policy Committee;
• The Diaspora and Caucasus Issues Committee is now the Diaspora Committee;
• The Regional Policy and Self-Government Committee is now simply the Regional Policy Committee;
• The Procedural Issues and Rules Committee has been renamed the Procedural Issues Committee.

Committees will now be required to hold at least one monthly meeting, reduced from the previous requirement of two.

The draft abolishes the thematic research institute and merges its functions into temporary commissions and working groups.

Parliamentary sessions will now take place from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with the option to extend beyond 9:00 p.m. to conclude pending discussions.

The Rules of Procedure also delineate the framework for political debates and introduce provisions for legislative proposals, allowing citizens to engage directly in the legislative process. Once submitted, proposals will be distributed to all MPs, who may then submit them as legislative initiatives within one month, crediting the original proposer.

Additionally, the new regulations will increase the frequency of interpellations, which will now occur weekly during plenary sessions, with exceptions made only in rare circumstances.

“These Rules define how the Parliament of Georgia operates. They must ensure efficient procedures while balancing the interests of both the opposition and the majority to foster a collegial and cooperative environment,” concluded Papuashvili.