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David Usupashvili becomes Georgian parliament speaker

A total of 88 votes were cast in his favor and nobody voted against
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

TBILISI, October 21 (Itar-Tass) — One of the leaders of the victorious Georgian Dream coalition, David Usupashvili, was on Sunday elected parliament speaker.A total of 88 votes were cast in his favor and nobody voted against.

A total of 129 deputies were present at the first session of the new parliament on Sunday. Addressing the session, Usupashvili expressed the opinion that “the country lives differently after the election”. “A wind of freedom is blowing in Georgia, and hope is seen in the eyes of the country nationals instead of fear,” he stressed.

According to Usupashvili, “after the Rose Revolution in November 2003, the society had lived with expectations that ‘the supremacy of law would be established in Georgia, and prosperity would come to the country together with freedom,’” he said. “However, this did not happen and this became a major disillusionment for the people,” the new speaker said.

As a result the citizens, 90 percent of whom voted for the former authorities after the Rose Revolution, have now “made a different choice”. “They have understood that they made a mistake in 2003 and now they hope for real changes,” he stated.

Usupashvili, 44, graduated from the law faculty and PG course of Tbilisi State University, worked at the Central Election Committee, and was legal adviser of Eduard Shevardnadze. In 1993-1995 he worked at the Constitution Commission and then at the Anticorruption Commission.

He took part in the Rose Revolution of November 2003. Starting from 2004 he has been in opposition to Mikhail Saakashvili. Usupashvili is the leader of the Republican Party and is an active participant in coalition actions.