Parliament session paused as unclear substance spilled before controversial voting
Former Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze has accused the opposition MPs of spilling the liquid in parliament, causing the delay in the parliament’s work. Photo: IPN.
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A break has been announced in parliament as an unclear substance has been spilled in the session hall with a “very unpleasant smell”as MPs say, causing a delay in a major vote today on the controversial list of judges for the Georgian Supreme Court.
Emergency brigades and law enforcers are present at the scene, as several of the MPs feel ill.
Ruling party MP Irakli Kobakhidze says that two opposition MPs brought in the liquid and spilled it in the hall earlier today.
Our reaction to the action will be very harsh,” Kobakhidze said.
MP Giorgi Gachechiladze has stated that “actually it is a terrorist act.”
Ruling party MPs say that the substance is “obviously poisonous.”
The civic movement Sirtskhvilia (Shame) has taken responsibility for the incident, saying in a special statement that "we stand behind the odour of feces, which is absolutely safe for human health".
Sirtskhvilia has been involved in the Tbilisi protests since June 2019.
The opposition and civic groups strongly opposes many of the 20 candidates presented for possible appointment as lifelong judge of the Georgian Supreme Court.
The ruling Georgian Dream party also says that they will not vote for several of the candidates.
Twelve individuals including opposition leaders and members have been detained at parliament earlier today for ‘hooliganism and disobedience to the police’, during a rally opposing a 20-person list of judges nominated for seats on the Georgian Supreme Court. Opposition leaders and members Giorgi Vashadze, Giorgi Tevdoradze, Beso Gazdelian, Guram Chalagashvili, Zurab Kostava, David Kakauridze and Kakhaber Machitidze are among the detainees.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says it will not vote for several of 20 candidates running for a seat as a Georgian Supreme Court judge, during the voting scheduled on December 12.
Head of the Georgian Constitutional Court Zaza Tavadze, who is on the 20-person list presented to parliament for a lifetime appointment as a judge on the Georgian Supreme Court, has withdrawn his candidacy, citing controversies related to his higher education.
The opposition and civil activists , who have been protesting for two weeks due to parliament’s rejection of the ruling party’s proposed election bill, have announced a 'large rally' at parliament when MPs will be scheduled to vote on a 20-person list of candidates for judge in the Georgian Supreme Court. The opposition, which strongly disapproves of the list, vows the rally will lead to the fulfilment of the demonstrators’ demands.
The Georgian parliament has approved 14 of total 19 candidates for lifelong judges of the Georgian Supreme Court amid protests of the opposition and civic groups. Prosecutor General Shalva Tadumadze, his deputy Mamuka Vasadze and Secretary of Georgia’s High Council of Justice Giorgi Mikautadze are among those approved.
The US Embassy said that the candidate selection process in the High Council of Justice “lacked transparency and resulted in a slate of nominees that did not fully represent the best qualified candidates”.
The Georgian Interior Ministry is investigating who spilled a noxious substance in parliament early yesterday, leading to a pause in the parliamentary session ahead of a major vote and the need to summon ambulances for several MPs.
The European Union says that revising the selection process of Georgian Supreme Court judges in line with CoE’s Venice Commission recommendations will be a condition for the disbursement of the second tranche of macro-financial assistance to Georgia under its current programme.On 1 April, the Georgian parliament adopted legislative amendments reviewing the selection process of Supreme Court judges.