On 25 February 2014 "Georgian Young Lawyers' Association" (GYLA), "Transparency International - Georgia", "International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy" (ISFED) and "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation (OSGF) have reacted [1] to amendments [2] made to the Law of Georgia "on the Civil Service". These amendments were made as part of the self-government reform that envisaged to consider all local self-government servants as acting servants after the next local self-government elections of 2014 but at the same time, opened for the public competition announcement of their positions. Above-listed organizations have criticized this regulation and found it to be inconsistent with the Constitution. Accordingly, we have called on the Georgian authorities - the Parliament and the Government, to take all measures and not to allow enactment of these amendments. Otherwise, above-listed organizations would address the Constitutional Court to repeal this amendment to the Law "on the Civil Service". The Public Servants Trade-Union of Georgia [3] and the Public Defender of Georgia [4] have negatively assessed these amendments as well.

The draft Law [5] developed and initiated by MPs Gia Zhorzholiani and Vakhtang Khmaladze was registered at the Bureau's sitting on May 13, which is to be examined through expedited procedure. Pursuant to the draft Law, the amendment included in the Law "on the Civil Service" in February that provided for the dismissal of the local self-government servants after the elections, is to be annulled. We welcome the initiation of this draft Law and call on the MPs to uphold it in order to avoid the post-election breach of labor rights of the local self-government servants.

"Georgian Young Lawyers' Association" (GYLA)

"Transparency International - Georgia"

"International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy" (ISFED)

"Open Society - Georgia" Foundation (OSGF)