Politics of Georgia

This article describes the Politics of Georgia

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Georgia has been a democratic republic since the first multiparty, democratic parliamentary elections of October 28, 1990. The President is elected for a term of five years; his constitutional successor is the Chairman of the Parliament.

The Georgian state is highly centralized, except for the autonomous regions of Abkhazia, Ajaria and South Ossetia, which are to be given autonomous status once Georgia's territorial integrity is restored. Those regions had an autonomous status within Georgian SSR during Soviet rule.

Political conditions

The Abkhaz separatist dispute absorbs much of the government's attention. While a cease-fire is in effect, about 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), who were driven from their homes during the conflict, constitute a vocal lobby. The government has offered the region considerable autonomy in order to encourage a settlement that would allow the IDPs, the majority of whom are ethnic Georgians from the Gali district, to return home. The Abkhaz refused to this solution, as in the case of IDP's return, Georgians would be the majority of population in the region, as it was during more than a century before they were driven from their homes.

Currently, Russian peacekeepers, under the authority of the Commonwealth of Independent States, are stationed in Abkhazia, along with UN observers, but both groups have recently had to restrict their activities due to increased mining and guerrilla activity. Negotiations have not resulted in movement toward a settlement. France, United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and the United States, through the United Nations and the OSCE, continue to encourage a comprehensive settlement consistent with Georgian independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The UN observer force and other organizations are quietly encouraging grassroots cooperative and confidence-building measures in the region.

The parliament has instituted wideranging political reforms supportive of higher human rights standards, because between 1992 and 2003 (before the Rose Revolution of November 21-November 23, 2003) the Georgian human rights situation had been complicated.

Government

• Country name:
  • conventional long form: none
  • conventional short form: Georgia
  • local long form: none
  • local short form: Sakartvelo

• Data code: GG

• Government type: republic

• Capital: Tbilisi

• Administrative divisions: Georgia is divided into 53 districts (raions), 11 cities*, and 2 autonomous republics** (avtonomiuri respublika).
  • Autonomous republics: Abkhazia, Ajaria.
  • Cities: Batumi, Chiatura, Gori, Kutaisi, Poti, Rustavi, Sokhumi, Tbilisi, Tkibuli, Tskhinvali, Tskaltubo.
  • Districts: Abasha , Adigeni , (Batumi), Akhalgori , Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe, Akhmeta , Ambrolauri , Aspindza , Baghdati, Bolnisi , Borjomi, Chkhorotsku , Chokhatauri , Dedoplistskaro , Dmanisi, Dusheti, Gardabani , Gurjaani , Java, Kareli , Kaspi , Kharagauli , Khashuri , Khobi , Khoni, Lagodekhi , Lanchkhuti, Lentekhi , Marneuli , Martvili, Mestia, Mtskheta, Ninotsminda , Oni, Ozurgeti, Kazbegi , Kvareli , Sachkhere, Sagarejo , Samtredia, Senaki , Sighnaghi , Telavi, Terjola , Tetritskaro , Tianeti , Tsageri , Tsalenjikha , Tsalka , Vani, Zestaponi, Zugdidi*

note

administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

• Independence: April 9, 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, May 26, (1918)

• Constitution: adopted October 17, 1995

• Legal system: based on civil law system

• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

• President: Mikhail Saakashvili (elected on January 4, 2004; inaugurated on January 25, 2004). See List of Georgian rulers

• Executive branch:
  • Prime-minister: Zurab Nogaideli (appointed February 3 2005)

• Legislative branch: In 1990-1992: the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelos Respublikis Uzenaesi Sabcho);
  • Since 1992: Parliament of Georgia (new Parliament was elected on March 28, 2004).
  • Speaker of the Parliament: Nino Burjanadze.

• Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges elected by the Parliament on the president's recommendation; Constitutional Court

• Political parties and leaders:

Greens - Giorgi Gachechiladze

Labor Party - Shalva Natelashvili

National Democratic Party - Traditionalists - Akaki Asatiani

National Independent Party - I. Tsereteli

National Movement - Democrats - Mikhail Saakashvili

Party Tavisupleba - Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, Jr.

People's Front - Nodar Natadze

People's Party - Mamuka Giorgadze

Republican Party - David Berdzenishvili

Rightist Opposition - David Gamkrelidze

Socialist Party - Irakli Mindeli

United Communist Party - Panteleimon Giorgadze

• International organization participation: BSEC, Council of Europe, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, International Chamber of Commerce, International Criminal Court (ICC), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, International Maritime Organization, Inmarsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO