Parliament of Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Parliament of Georgiaსაქართველოს პარლამენტი sakartvelos p'arlament'i |
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|---|---|
| 10th Parliament | |
 |
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| Type | |
| Type |
Unicameral (see more)
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| History | |
| Preceded by | State Council (1992) |
| Leadership | |
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Chairperson
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Shalva Papuashvili (GD)
Since 29 December 2021 |
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First Deputy
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Giorgi Volski (GD)
Since 25 November 2019 |
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Majority Leader
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Irakli Kobakhidze (GD)
Since 11 December 2020 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 150 |
 |
|
|
Political groups
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Government (84)
Opposition (55)
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| Committees |
Agrarian Issues
Budget and Finance European Integration Culture Defence and Security Diaspora and Caucasus Issues Education and Science Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Foreign Relations Healthcare and Social Issues Human Rights and Civil Integration Legal Issues Procedural Issues and Rules Regional Policy and Self-Government Sector Economy and Economic Policy Sports and Youth Issues |
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Length of term
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Four years |
| Elections | |
| Party-list proportional representation | |
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Last election
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31 October and 21 November 2020 |
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Next election
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2024 |
| Meeting place | |
 |
|
 Georgian Parliament BuildingShota Rustaveli Avenue 8 Tbilisi, 0118 Georgia |
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| Website | |
| www.parliament.ge | |
| Constitution | |
| Constitution of Georgia | |
The Parliament of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს პარლამენტი, romanized: sakartvelos p'arlament'i) is the main law-making body in Georgia. It's like a big team of people who decide on the country's rules and how it should be run. This Parliament has only one main group of members, making it a unicameral parliament.
Right now, there are 150 members in the Parliament. Most of them (120) are chosen based on how many votes their political party gets. The other 30 members are elected to represent specific areas, like a local champion for their town or region. Starting in 2024, all members will be chosen based on party votes.
Everyone in Georgia who is old enough can vote for these members. They are elected for four years. The Constitution of Georgia gives the Parliament the power to make laws for the whole country. However, there are some special rules for the regions of Adjara and Abkhazia.
Contents
History of Georgia's Parliament
Early Ideas for a Parliament
The idea of having a group of people help rule the country, instead of just a king or queen, started a long time ago in Georgia. Back in the 12th century, during the time of Queen Tamar, some important people wanted to create a body like a parliament.
One idea was to have two groups: the Darbazi, which would be a meeting of important people to make big decisions, and the Karavi, a smaller group that would work all the time. This idea didn't fully happen because the Queen's supporters wanted to keep royal power strong. But Queen Tamar did have a group of advisors who helped her with laws, even if they didn't have the final say.
Parliament in Modern Times
Georgians finally got to send their own representatives to a parliament-like group in 1906. This was the Second State Duma in the Russian Empire, because Georgia was part of Russia at that time. Famous Georgians like Noe Zhordania and Ilia Chavchavadze were among these representatives.
In 1918, after Georgia became independent, its first National Parliament was created. In 1921, this Parliament wrote Georgia's first Constitution. But soon after, Georgia was taken over by the Bolshevik Red Army, and independent parliamentary rule stopped for almost 70 years. The building where the Parliament meets today in Tbilisi was started in 1938 and finished in 1953, during the time Georgia was part of the Soviet Union.
Parliament Returns to Georgia
The first elections with many different political parties were held in Georgia on October 28, 1990. The people elected then declared Georgia's independence. In 1991, Zviad Gamsakhurdia was elected as the country's first President.
After some difficult times and conflicts, a new State Council was formed in 1992. This council brought back Georgia's 1921 Constitution and held new parliamentary elections on August 4, 1992.
In 1995, the newly elected Parliament created a new Constitution. This Constitution set up Georgia as a country with a president and a single-chamber parliament. For a while, starting in 2012, some parliamentary meetings were held in the city of Kutaisi. This was an effort to spread political power around the country. However, since January 1, 2019, all Parliament meetings and work now happen back in the capital city, Tbilisi.
How the Parliament Works
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The Parliament of Georgia is the country's most important representative body. It makes laws, decides on the main plans for Georgia's future at home and with other countries, and checks on what the Government is doing.
Members of Parliament
The Parliament has 150 members. They are elected for four years. As mentioned, the way members are chosen will change in 2024 to be fully based on party votes.
Elections for Parliament
Parliamentary elections are held every four years, usually on the last Saturday of October. To become a member of Parliament, a person must be a citizen of Georgia, have the right to vote, and have lived in Georgia for at least 10 years. They must also be at least 25 years old. People who have been sentenced to prison cannot be elected.
Political parties can take part in elections if they have a current member in Parliament or if they get at least 25,000 voters to sign a petition supporting them.
Meetings and Sessions
The first meeting of a new Parliament happens within 10 days after election results are announced. The President of Georgia calls this first meeting.
The Parliament usually meets for regular sessions twice a year: from September to December and from February to June. If something urgent comes up between these regular sessions, the President can call an extra meeting. This can happen if the Parliament's Chairperson, at least one-fourth of the members, or the Government asks for it.
Making Laws
Many different groups can suggest a new law. This includes the Government, a Member of Parliament, a group of members (a parliamentary faction), a parliamentary committee, the main bodies of the regions of Abkhazia and Adjara, or at least 25,000 voters.
For a law to be passed, most of the members present at the meeting must vote for it. But at least one-third of all Parliament members must vote yes. Once Parliament passes a law, it goes to the President of Georgia within 10 days.
The President can either sign the law, making it official, or send it back to Parliament with suggestions for changes. If the President sends it back, Parliament can either accept the changes or vote again on the original law. If Parliament votes for the original law again, the President must sign it. If the President still doesn't sign, the Chairperson of Parliament can sign it instead.
Other Important Powers
The Parliament has other important jobs too:
- It can approve, cancel, or end international agreements with other countries.
- It can remove high-ranking officials from their positions, like the President, a Government member, or a judge, if they have done something wrong.
- The President of Georgia can dissolve the Parliament if it fails to approve a new Government within a certain time.
Chairperson of the Parliament
The Parliament of Georgia chooses its Chairperson (like a speaker) from among its members. This person is elected by secret vote and serves for the same four-year term as the Parliament. The Chairperson leads the Parliament's meetings, makes sure everyone can share their opinions freely, and signs the laws that Parliament passes.
Where the Parliament Meets
The Parliament of Georgia has its main home in Tbilisi, which is the capital city of Georgia. As mentioned, for a few years (from 2012 to 2018), some of the regular meetings were held in a new building in Kutaisi, another large city in Georgia. However, since January 2019, all Parliament activities and meetings now take place back in the capital city of Tbilisi.
See also
In Spanish: Parlamento de Georgia para niños
