TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili says his party supports constitution changes regarding limiting his powers, but doesn’t support the change which suggests moving parliament back to Tbilisi.

In his speech held at the president’s residence in Tbilisi, Saakashvili said the parliamentary majority wants to restrict his ‘ephemeral authority’, but added that this is not a matter of principle and not the reason why the minority National Movement doesn’t support the constitution changes.

The first and most principle issue is that government wants to return parliament from Kutaisi, in western Georgia, to Tbilisi, the capital, he said.

“I categorically do not agree with moving parliament back to Tbilisi. It is our first and main difference,” Saakashvili said, adding that government wants to have control over parliament and this is the reason why they want to move it back.

“Government should be separated; parliament should be strong and shouldn’t be under government pressure. Parliament should be at the geographic center of Georgia. I agree with reducing the authority of the president, I do not agree with moving parliament from Kutaisi,” he said.

The president said he is not going to use his power to dismiss the government. The new government came to power by a large mandate of trust, he said, adding that it’s not right to artificially stop the authority of the new government, if something ‘really surprising’ doesn’t happen, and nothing has happened yet and he expressed hope that nothing of the sort happens.

“I do not see the necessity of this, and I have said it many times, that I won’t do this, as it would be politically wrong.”