Strange Single-Seat MPs

Nino Devidze, Kakheti

Parlaimentary monitoring website “Chemiparliamenti.ge” published report on the activities of single-seat MPs. According to the provided data, MPs Marika Verulashvili, Zaza Kedelashvili and Giorgi Gviniashvili from Kakheti region are among least active MPs.

Kvareli district majoritarian MP Marika Verulashvili did not attend any sessions of the parliament in 2013.

Dedoplistskaro district MP Zaza Kedelashvili is member of the fraction “United National Movement” and Committee for Diaspora and Caucasus Affairs; he attended only eight out of 469 sessions.

Gurjaani district single-seat MP GIorgi Gviniashvili is member and deputy chair of the fraction United National –Regions. He attended only 53 out of 469 sessions.

Signagi district single-seat MP Gela Gelashvili is the most active among the MPs from Kakheti region; his activity in the parliament is 89, 77%.

As for the population’s awareness about majoritarian MPs, recent surveys showed that problems exist in this direction too. Nongovernmental organization Sida studied the activities of the bureaus of single-seat MPs in ten regions of Georgia – Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Shida Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Adjara, Guria, Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi, Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. They interviewed 1496 people in the villages of Georgia and 39% of them did not know who their majoritarian MPs are.

“Study of the activities of the bureaus of the majoritiarian MPs became urgent topic after the survey of problems in different regions showed that MPs did not participate or did not properly participate in the resolution of local problems of the districts, where they were elected. Our purpose was not to evaluate rating of any concrete MP; we surveyed whether electorate knew their MPs,” executive director of SIDA Zviad Devdariani said.

150 respondents were interviewed in each region. 39% of the interviewed 1496 people did not know who their single-seat MP was. 42,5%  of respondents did not have information about the activities of their MPs in the parliament. More than half of respondents (52,6%) met their MPs only before elections; 39, 3% did not meet him/her at all. After elections, only 13,8% of respondents had direct contact with the MP. 56% of them did not know address of the MP’s local bureau.

Nongovernmental organization recommends to the single-seat MPs to pay more attention to the activities of their bureaus and improve communication with the electorate.