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President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The constitutional amendments which reduce the power of the prime minister have come into force, after the president signed a bill which was passed by parliament on October 4.

The amendment is published on the website of the legal gazette, matsne.gov.ge, which automatically means that the new regulation is in force.

The new amendment foresees changes after the presidential election is over.

The Saakashvili government in 2010 adopted constitutional amendments which would significantly decrease the president’s power after the 2013 presidential election, while increasing the power of the prime minister. Many thought this was part of a plan by Saakashvili to switch to being a prime minister after his second term as president ended; often called ‘a Putin scenario’. But after Bidzina Ivanishvili entered politics in 2011 and came into government a year later after a surprise election win, the Putin scenario was no longer an option.

The Ivanishvili government prepared a new draft of amendments, which had to be adopted before the presidential election. Also in the new draft, the power of the prime minister will be reduced in order to balance powers among the president, the prime minister and the parliament.

Read more about the changes: https://dfwatch.net/how-the-role-of-the-president-will-change-in-georgia-47635