Constitution of Georgia (country)
| Constitution of Georgia |
Constitution of Georgia
|
| Created |
July 2, 1995 |
| Ratified |
August 24, 1995 |
| Location |
Parliament of Georgia |
| Author(s) |
State Constitutional Commission of Georgia |
| Signatories |
The members of State Constitutional Commission and Parliament of Georgia |
The Constitution of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს კონსტიტუცია, sakartvelos k'onstitutsia) is the supreme law of Georgia. It was approved by the Parliament of Georgia on August 24 1995. It entered into force on October 17. The Constitution replaced the Decree on State Power of November 1992 which had functioned as an interim basic law.
Early constitutional history
Under Gamsakhurdia Georgia had continued to function under the Soviet-era constitution of 1978, which was based on the 1977 constitution of the Soviet Union.[1] The first postcommunist parliament amended that document extensively.[1] In February 1992, the Georgian National Congress (the alternate parliament elected in 1990) formally designated the Georgian constitution of February 21, 1921, as the effective constitution of Georgia.[1] That declaration received legitimacy from the signatures of Jaba Ioseliani and Tengiz Kitovani, at that time two of the three members of the governing Military Council.[1] In February 1993, Shevardnadze called for extensive revisions of the 1921 constitution.[1] Characterizing large sections of that document as wholly unacceptable, Shevardnadze proposed forming a constitutional commission to draft a new version by December 1993.[1]
2004 Amendments
On January 4, Mikhail Saakashvili won the Georgian presidential election, 2004 with an overwhelming majority of 96% of the votes cast. Constitutional amendments were rushed through Parliament in February strengthening the powers of the President to dismiss Parliament and creating the post of Prime Minister. Zurab Zhvania was appointed Prime Minister. Nino Burjanadze, the interim President, became Speaker of Parliament.
2010 Amendments
On October 15 2010, the Parliament of Georgia adopted with 112 votes to five major amendments to the constitution, which will significantly reduce powers of the next president in favor of Prime Minister and the government. The new constitution will go into force upon the inauguration of the next president, who will be elected in the elections in October, 2013.[2]
See also
References