The Speaker, Mr. David Usupashvili attended the Open Society Georgia Foundation organized presentation of the book 20 Years of the Constitution held in the Rooms Hotel. The edition is the compendium of the academic articles on the text of the Constitution and the Constitutional order.

The compendium starts with the introductory speeches by the Speaker, Mr. David Usupashvili, the President of Georgia, Mr. Giorgi Margvelashvili and the Chair of the Constitutional Court, Mr. Giorgi Papuashvili.

The CEO of the Open Society Georgia Foundation, Ms. Ketevan Kutsishvili opened the presentation. The Speaker and Mr. Papuashvili also addressed the audience.

The Speaker thanked the OSG Foundation stating that the organization “has crowned one more significant deed”.

“20 years of the Constitution is an important event. We have accumulated some experience, skills, achievements, mistakes as well to in-depth analyze where we are, where we come from in terms of Constitutional foundation, what to do and how to do”.

He spoke about 1993-1995 State Constitutional Commission, preceding period when the issue of the Constitution started becoming actual, spoke about shortcomings in the current edition, change procedures etc. He noted that the Constitution was set “to work” in the preceding years and it is correct. The Constitution has quite a new type of readers and real supporter -  the Constitutional Court. “Against the problems, chaotic events we go through now, there are outlined signs of the Constitutional foundation in our country, which we shall facilitate at maximal extent with all available leverages. Then, the country and the state will rise from the knees”.

He spoke about 1921 Constitution and historical importance. “Today, if Georgia, Georgian people has anything to be proud of in terms of statehood, it is 1921 Constitution as it is the document collecting the then modern and interesting formulations and provisions”.

He once more thanked the organizers and expressed his hope that after 10 years, new edition will be published and “then we will be more proud of our Constitutional process”.

The event was attended by the representatives of the executive, legislative and judicial authority, NGOs, international organizations and the Constitutionalists.

After the presentation the Speaker commented to media: “the presentation was very interesting. I had the pleasure to make a short record in the compendium and I am glad that I see so many persons interested because the Constitution of Georgia is becoming more and more important document for our country. There was time when the Constitution was the subject of interest of only a short list of the specialists. Today, the provisions are the subject of interest of all the politicians, all public servants. It means significant steps were made to create the Constitutional foundation. The Constitution itself needs further improvement but the current text is better to really apply in the country than the situation we had a couple of years ago when anyone was allowed to make any amendments to the Constitution. Without the Constitution, we will fail to build effective state, without Constitutional order we will fail to solve the problems. So, I wish all persons concerned to study this book and recall our common history”.