Shalva Papuashvili: it is a prominent day indeed for our country and a special date for the Parliament of Georgia – today, the First Vice Speaker of the First Parliament of Georgia, Alexander Lomtatidze will be interred in the native land at last

“It is a prominent day indeed for our country and a special date for the Parliament of Georgia – today, Alexander Lomtatidze – the politician, public figure and the First Vice-Speaker of the First Parliament of Georgia will be interred in the native land; it is the person who refused to abandon his country facing the Red Army, for which he was exiled and where he was deceased”, - the Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili stated in the Trinity Cathedral at the civil funeral of Alexander Lomtatidze.
As the Speaker highlighted, for the merit contributed by A. Lomtatidze to the development of the parliamentarism of Georgia and the enhancement of independence, he was awarded the Parliamentary Order of Liberty on behalf of the Parliament, which constitutes the greatest honor for the Parliament.
“It is noteworthy that the Parliament also awards the leadership of the Constituent Assembly – the Chair, Karlo Chkheidze and his Deputies, Ekvtime Takaishvili and Svimon Mdivani. They are the ancestors of ours, who generated the idea of a new Republic for us – the Republic that did not last long unfortunately but it was rooted in the hearts of the Georgian people, giving the never-ending impulse of the aspiration for independence, finally leading us to the restoration of this desired independence”, - Speaker Papuashvili stated and noted that when the Constituent Assembly was convened on March 12, 1919, Karlo Chkheidze was elected as the Chair in absentia inasmuch as he served the diplomatic mission to Europe to appeal for the recognition of the independence of Georgia.
“It was the very reason that Alexander Lomtatidze assumed a presidency of the Constituent Assembly for almost two years – till the end of 1920 while Karlo Chkheidze was in the mission abroad; Alexander Lomtatidze was also leading the composition of the first Draft Constitution of Georgia, which overall, served as the Constitution lasting longer than the First Republic but created the axis of the values which we resorted to as the pillars for the establishment of a new and independent state. I would like to, on behalf of the Parliament of Georgia, pay tribute to Alexander Lomtatidze. Today, he will rest in peace by the side of his son, Giorgi Lomtatidze – also a public figure, historian and archeologist, who contributed the greatest merit to Georgia. The Parliament of Georgia will always be saturated with the commemoration of Alexander Lomtatidze”, - the Speaker ended his speech.
The memorial service for A. Lomtatidze was held by the locum tenens of the Patriarchate, His Eminence Shio.
The ceremony of the repatriation of the cadaveric body of the state and public figure of the First Republic and the civil funeral were as well attended by the Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili, Members of Parliament and the executive authority members.
A. Lomtatidze was buried in Didube Pantheon for the most prominent writers, artists, scholars, scientists and political activists of Georgia.