TBILISI, DFWatch – The constitutional changes Georgia recently passed which gives EU citizens the right to stand for election will be restricted to only last for three years.

The Christian Democrats party recently suggested constitutional amendments according to which a person who is an EU citizen and has lived in Georgia for the last 10 years is allowed to participate in elections. But the amendment didn’t give a right to vote.

Parliament passed these changes.

But today, the head of parliament’s judiciary committee suggested to slightly restrict these new rights for EU citizens to engage in Georgian politics.

Pavle Kublashvili proposed that the rights will apply to EU citizens who are born in Georgia and have lived here for ten years, and what is more, the right will only last for the next three years. It will be in force until 2015, if this latest modification is passed.

The new initiative foresees also granting EU citizens the right to vote. The bill will be reviewed at tomorrow’s plenary session.

The Christian Democrats presented this extraordinary arrangement in the middle of a debate over whether Georgia’s richest, Bidzina Ivanishvili, should have his citizenship restored or be granted a Georgian citizenship through some legal avenue, so he can participate in the election.

Before, Georgian legislation restricted a non-Georgian from participating in elections, political process or to finance political parties.