"Transparency International Georgia” has submitted a legislative proposal to the Parliament of Georgia to amend the Rules of Procedure of  the  Parliament. The legislative proposal is intended to achieve power-sharing  in the Parliament and strengthen the role of the opposition.

According to the legislative proposal, the position of the Chair of 5 parliamentary committees  shall be held by a representative of the opposition. 2 out of these 5 committees  shall be  Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee and Finance and Budget Committee. The remaining 3 committees, with an opposition chair, shall be determined as a result of an agreement between the opposition and the majority.

The legislative proposal is in line with the recommendation of the European Commission on  granting Georgia the official status, according to which political polarization should be resolved through cooperation between political parties in the spirit of the April 19 Agreement. The so-called Charles Michel agreement stipulated for the positions of chairpersons of some parliamentary committees to be held by representatives of the opposition.

Strong parliamentary opposition is an important component of a functioning democracy and it is especially important for a proper exercise of parliamentary oversight.