Margvelashili planning his first annual address to parliament

President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–President Giorgi Margvelashvili is in consultations with the speaker of parliament about the date of his annual address to parliament.

The Georgian constitution says that the president must visit parliament once a year and present a report about ongoing processes and problems in the country and answer questions from MPs.

On Monday, President Margvelashvili said that he doesn’t plan to violate the constitution and will fulfill this obligation.

That was a reference to ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, who in 2013 didn’t hold his annual address in parliament, which lies in Kutaisi, but instead held it at the National Library in Tbilisi. This happened after the Georgian Dream majority had postponed his appearance in parliament for a while.

Before he spoke at the National Library, there was a scuffle outside between Saakashvili supporters and people opposed to him and his party. The ex-president never came to parliament before the end of his term in October 2013.

President Margvelashvili said on Monday that his annual address to parliament may have a different format than before.

“Naturally, we are in a new situation. We plan new traditions,” he said.

The president’s annual address to parliament usually takes place in February, as the constitution says it must be held on the first day of the spring plenary session. This year it means February 4, when the spring session starts.