Georgia: Opposition promises actions against appointment of Prosecutor General

The opposition is going to organize a new series of protests outside the Georgian Parliament building to prevent the appointment of former Chief Prosecutor Irakliya Shotadze as Prosecutor General. Relevant statements to the media were made by representatives of the main opposition parties of the National Movement and the European Georgia. According to National Movement member Tinatin Bokuchava, the opposition plans to picket the legislature and other protest actions outside the walls of Parliament, as well as certain actions by opposition deputies and within Parliament to interfere with the process of discussing the candidate of the Prosecutor General. According to Georgian opposition leaders, they remain in the mode of boycott of parliamentary activities, which was announced last November after the failure of the draft amendments to the Constitution, which provided for the transition to a proportional electoral system, but will apply all measures to ensure that Irakli Shotadze does not take the post of Prosecutor General. Recall that the Prosecutor's Council as early as February 7 finished the process of selection of candidates for the post of Prosecutor General and by a majority vote chose the candidate Irakliya Shotadze, which is submitted for approval to the Parliament of Georgia. Consideration of the candidate by the Parliament should begin on February 17, at the meeting of the Committee on Legal Issues, where the deputies will hear Irakliya Shotadze. We remind that Irakli Shotadze served as the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia in 2015 2018 and resigned on May 31, 2018 against the background of protests initiated by the father of the murdered on Horava Street in December 2017 David Saralidze Zara Saralidze. The post of Prosecutor General of Georgia became vacant last December after Parliament approved former Prosecutor General Shalva Tadumadze for the post of Judge of the Supreme Court of Georgia.