The Prime
Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvli gave a speech at the Atlantic Council
of the United States (ACUS). The Prime Minister answered questions from the
audience after his speech. The Prime Minister’s press service informs that
Gharibashvili spoke about Georgia’s domestic and foreign policy priorities,
challenges and prospects and stressed the progress made by the new government
in a year and half.
According tos InterpressNews, the Prime Minister highlighted
that Georgia had a peaceful and orderly transfer of power and successfully
managed the process of cohabitation between old and new authorities.
“The major directions of democratic
consolidation speak for the breadth and width of the recent changes in Georgia:
The Constitution was amended to create a more democratic system of
checks-and-balances, redistributing excessive power previously vested in the
executive branch to the Parliament; We eradicated the malicious practice of
elite corruption, money laundering and governmental pressure on business;
Substantial reforms were implemented in the justice sector to ensure the independence
of courts- owing to these efforts, the courts are gradually regaining the
hitherto lost trust among the Georgian public. We understand all too well – An
independent judicially is the cornerstone of every democracy; therefore, we
made every effort to ensure judicial reform was the most consistent and
rigorous of all reforms undertaken by our Government”, the Prime Minister said
in his speech.
He spoke about reforms in rule of law,
improving freedom of media, rehabilitation of former prisoners, that one of the
steps forward was democratic election of members of the high council of Justice.
The Prime Minister said that criminal
law becomes closer to the liberal and international standards. Gharibashvili
stated that the government didn’t spare efforts regarding judiciary
independence. That the court processes are open to the media.
