
Executive branch
PRESIDENT
The post of President was first introduced in Georgia in March 1991, right away the Sovereignty Restoration Declaration was passed by the Supreme Council. Zviad Gamsakhurdya was then elected the first President of Georgia. But as soon as in January 1992 he was expatriated in course of a military coup d’etat being accused of an attempt of establishing an authoritative government. Eduard Shevardnadze after coming back Georgia in 1992 had refrained from restoring presidential government for a while. In 1992 – 1995 he was holding the office of the Georgia State Council Chairman, and after the elections of October 11, 1992 he held the office of the Government Executive.
As the Constitution of Georgia was adopted in 1995 and the post of President was introduced once again (as that of the executive power head) Shevardnadze was elected the President same year. After the Rose revolution of November 2003 and Shevardnadze’s resignation the new state leaders have introduced a number of amendments into the Constitution to cut down presidential authorities in favor of the Parliament on the one hand, and to confer the President with the power to dissolve the Parliament on the other.
Authorities of the President of Georgia
The President of Georgia is the Head of the Georgian State. Under the constitution amendments passed in February 2004 the President is no longer the head of the executive power but shall only ensure the activity of the state bodies in accordance with the Constitution. The President of Georgia leads and exercises the internal and foreign policy of the State. He personifies the unity and integrity of the State being the higher representative of Georgia in every respect.
The President is the Higher Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Georgia and the Chairman of the Council of National Security. He appoints members of the Council of National Security, appoints and dismisses the Head of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Georgia and other commanders.
The President of Georgia doesn’t have the right to hold any other position except for a party position, engage in entrepreneurial activity and receive salary or another permanent remuneration for any other activity.
In case of inability to discharge the authority of the President of Georgia or pre-term termination of his/her office, the President of the Parliament shall exercise the responsibilities of the President of Georgia, whereas in case the President of the Parliament is unable to discharge the authority of the President of Georgia, as well as if the Parliament is dissolved the Prime Minister shall exercise the responsibilities of the President of Georgia.
Personalities
Saakashvili Mikheil - reelected President of Georgia January 5, 2008
Official Site
President of Georgia - www.president.ge
Early presidential election was held in Georgia on January 5, 2008 resulting from the 2007 opposition-led demonstrations. On January 13, 2008 Mikheil Saakashvili was officially announced winner with 53,4% of the vote. International observers welcomed the elections, while the Georgian oppositioin accused the authorities of electoral fraud.
PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION
Administration of the President (AP) was formed by the decree of the President of Georgia of February 14, 2004 on the basis of the former State Chancellery, the executive power machinery during the government of Eduard Shevardnadze.
The Director of the Administration of the President appoints and dismisses the officials of the AP, forms its structure and establishes the order of its activities. He as well directs its activities.
The head of the AP is Temur Janashia.
GOVERNMENT
The Government ensures the exercise of the executive power, the internal and foreign policy of the State. The new wording of the Constitution passed in February 2004 revived the institution of Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is appointed and dismissed by the President of Georgia. The Cabinet was conferred a number of authorities, including the authority to introduce the state budget to the Parliament, and the Prime Minister was conferred the authority to propose candidacies for the posts of ministers and dismiss some of them. Experts have interpreted these amendments as an evidence of the Georgia’s drift from the American model of presidential government to the model of semi-presidential government (a version of the French model).
Personalities
Nika Gilauri - Prime Minister of Georgia (appointed on February 6, 2009).
Official Sites
Ministry of Agriculture and Food - www.maf.ge
Ministry of Culture - www.mc.gov.ge
Ministry of Economic Development - www.economy.gov.ge
Ministry of Environmental Protection -www.grida.no/enrin/htmls/georgia/soegeor/hp_soege.htm
Ministry of Finance - www.mof.ge
Ministry of Foreign Affairs - www.mfa.gov.ge
Ministry of Fuel and Energy - www.georgia-gateway.org/energy
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare - www.moh.ge
Ministry of Post and Telecommunications - www.iberiapac.ge/mincom
Ministry of Science and Education - www.mes.gov.ge
Ministry of Special Affairs - http://msa.gol.ge
Ministry of Transport - www.iberiapac.ge/mintrans
LOCAL GOVERNMENT BODIES
Local government is exercised on the basis of the law “On Local Government” of 1997 and the law “On Local Representative Bodies Elections” of the July 25, 1998.
The local government bodies of the village level (sakrebulo) were nominally conferred the authority to control the local executive power (gamgeoba). At the same time the representatives of the President in the regions (9 territories), chairmen of the local boards, city mayors and heads of the 66 regions are appointed by the President. Besides this, the local government bodies are dependent on the state financing and the authority delimitation stays vague.
INTERACTION OF THE EXECUTIVE BODIES
According to the Constitution, the Government of Georgia is accountable to the President and the Parliament of Georgia. Despite this, activities of the Cabinet can be divided into two sorts: these, informally controlled mainly by the President, and that, controlled mainly by the Parliament.
The activities of the Armed Forces and state security services of Georgia (power Ministries and agencies) prove to be mainly controlled by the President. The staff of the Defense Ministry and the security services is usually proposed by the President. The Parliament in his turn controls the social and economic activities of the Cabinet. The latter reports the Parliament on the government programs and state budget execution. The Prime Minister usually proposes the candidacies for the posts in economic and social Ministries and institutions.
POLITICAL PRESSURE GROUPS IN THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
1. The Freedom Institute group is the most influential faction. It consists of the members or advocates of the influential pro-government think tank Freedom Institute that has good connections in the USA and Europe, particularly with politicians and public figures. The Institute employees have worked for Mikheil Saakashvili since 1995 when he firstly appeared in politics after return from the USA. The Institute is one of the major masterminds behind the “Rose Revolution”. It acts as Saakashvili's think tank. After the “Rose Revolution”, the Institute leaders and the people, who were associated with this organization, became influential government officials. The faction dominates in the Parliament where it has initiated the majority of laws and amendments.
2. The top of the ruling party United National Movement controls several ministries including the Ministry of Defense and the ramified network of the party agencies. There is a turf battle between this faction and that of Freedom Institute.
3. The group of MPs belonging to the parliamentary faction of the ruling party represents the big business, family clans, local and regional elite.
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