Georgian president signs new constitution into law
The Georgian parliament approved a new edition of the constitution with 112 votes to five on October 15. The previous constitution was adopted in 1995 and amended several times, including after the Rose Revolution of November 2003.
Some of the amendments will enter into force in January 2011, while the bulk will become valid in 2013.
A state commission on constitutional reform drafted the document. It was formed over a year ago to the president's order.
The Venice Commission supported the constitutional reform in Georgia, which transferred a number of presidential powers to the government.
Venice Commission Secretary Thomas Markert said that the reform was a step forward and the new edition of the Georgian constitution fully met the European tradition.
He also said that Georgia would have to simplify the procedure of putting a motion of no-confidence in the government.
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) rapporteurs Kastriot Islami and Michael Jensen urged the Georgian parliament on October 12 to adjourn the approval of constitutional amendments, which would significantly build up the role of the government, Kazinform cites Itar-Tass. See www.itar-tass.com for full version.