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The Ministry of Finance Is Not Going to Finance Regional Offices of the Public Defender

August 6, 2004

The Ministry of Finance Is Not Going to Finance Regional Offices of the Public Defender

Tbilisi. 05.08.04. Media News

At the joint session of Human Rights and Legal Issues Committees of the Georgian Parliament, where the issue of the increased budget was discussed, debates about funding the Apparatus of  Public Defender were also held.

The issue gave start to heated debates at the session. The Chairmen of the Committees and Zurab Nogaideli, the Minister of Finance appealed to each other to observe the norms of ethics.

Nazi Aronia, Member of Parliament demanded to increase funding of the Public Defender’s Office and its Regional Offices which were financed by the UN.

As Nazi Aronia stated, existence of Regional Offices is important for the population.

Temur lomsadze, the Acting Public Defender also attended the session of the committees. According to him, the Regional Offices are in danger of being closed and in order for the UN to further implement 4-year-long funding program, the state should allocate at least minimal funds so that the UN can see the state will regarding the existence of Regional Offices of the Public Defender’s Office.

“Regional Offices were established with the UN funds. The offices are already equipped with different kinds of inventory, including computers. In order to sustain the achieved level till the start of the new program just little state funds are needed”, - stated Temur Lomsadze.

According to Giga Bokeria, Member of Parliament the Office of Public Defender is not functioning and is practically dead. “The state should only finance the Public Defender’s Office when it is formed again” – stated Giga Bokeria. 

According to Zurab Nogaideli, the Minister of Finance, the state will finance the Public Defender’s Office after its status is defined. As for the Regional Offices the issue of their existence has still to be decided and on this stage “the state will not finance offices established by Non-Governmental Organizations”.

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