The draft laws on the new Tax Code and Higher Education are no longer intriguing; parliament has already rolled them over with two hearings, which means that no further obstacles loom before they are finally adopted. Thus, before the fall session is over only the 2005 state budget, which slowly moves to the fore, can serve as “entertainment.”

The main economic law of 2005 project entered the supreme legislative body on Saturday; copies were distributed to MPs last night. This week the draft will be discussed among factions and in committees with the second hearing, on Saturday it will be summarized in a session of the Finance-Budgetary Committee. Later on along the “route” of the 2005 state budget the governmental faction will weigh the bill on December 20, and presumably on December 22 Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania will present it before the extraordinary session of the Georgian parliament. According to the estimate of Roman Gotsiridze, chair of the Finance-Budgetary Committee, “budget-mania” is to end on December 28.

“You don’t need our votes, in any case, and what does it matter to you when the opposition will review the draft budget?” Zurab Tkemaladze, one of the leaders of the Rightist opposition, said in surprise at yesterday’s session of the Parliamentary Bureau when the schedule for the review of the 2005 state budget was being determined.

“It is still necessary to maintain formality,” Parliamentary vice Speaker Mikheil Matchavariani responded, simultaneously underlining the need to adhere to the procedures and dysfunctionality of the Rightists.

Parliamentary life does not end with budgetary excitement, however: before the fall session is over, the MPs should make decisions concerning such protracted issues as “financial amnesty” and the bill on Broadcasting. Vice Speaker Matchavariani pledges that both problem-ridden issues will be resolved in the near future.

“Consultations will be held concerning ‘financial amnesty’ tomorrow, and this topic will come to an end. The situation is the same in regards to public television – we will agree upon this with the Minister of Finance tomorrow,” says Matchavariani.

While he has no doubts regarding final adoption of “difficult” bills, Matchavariani still faces a big puzzle in the form of a seemingly trivial matter – that is the project of the decree on the Establishment of Permanent Parliamentary and Inter-Parliamentary Delegations.

“Yesterday I was working on this all day long and still could not settle it.” The vice Speaker admits that he is unable to do anything in regards to the MPs’ desire to go abroad.

If the MPs do strive to go abroad, others say no to this “asset” on their own; Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili called back the candidacies of Temur Gamtsemlidze and Aleksandre Chkhikvadze, the Georgian ambassadors to Armenia and the Czech Republic, respectively. Kote Gabashvili, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of parliament, explained the president’s decision by noting that both Gamtsemlidze and Chkhikvadze decided to embark on a different field – namely business.

Unlike them, Mikheil Ukleba plans to continue his diplomatic career: the deputy Foreign Affairs Minister will soon assume the post of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Georgia to China.

Apart from pure law-making activities, MPs will also have to adhere to the rules of fair play: during a vote three MPs voted with others’ cards – Mikheil Matchavariani plans to make their punishment exemplary. As the vice speaker has said, all of the said three will have a certain amount deducted from salaries.

So far Matchavariani refrains from releasing the names of the offenders. The only thing he publicized is that one is a representative of the parliamentary majority while the other two are single-mandate MPs.