BRUSSELS, November 12 (RIA Novosti) - European Council President Herman Van Rompuy on Monday called on Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili to engage in dialog with President Mikheil Saakashvili to find a solution to the constitutional struggle taking place between the president and premier in Tbilisi.
“I underlined the firm commitment of the European Union to work closely and intensively with both his [Ivanishvili’s] Government and with the President on our ambitious program of cooperation within the Eastern Partnership,” Van Rompuy said after talks with Ivanishvili in Brussels.
“In this context, I underlined the importance of the Prime Minister and the President continuing to interact effectively during their period of cohabitation, bearing in mind their respective constitutional roles,” he said.
Van Rompuy also stressed “the valuable function which can be played in Georgia’s development by a constructive parliamentary opposition, and by an active civil society.”
Ivanishvili, in Brussels on his first foreign visit as Georgia’s premier, earlier held talks with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. He is also due to meet with other EU officials and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The Georgian parliament on October 25 approved the new cabinet led by Ivanishvili, leader of the Georgian Dream coalition which won the country's October 1 parliamentary elections. Georgian Dream won 85 out of 150 seats in parliament. President Saakashvili’s United National Movement (UNM) will have 65 seats.
The majority of the president's executive powers will be transferred to the new prime minister under constitutional reforms due to take effect in January 2013. Last month, Ivanishvili called on Saakashvili to leave his post as president before it is due to expire, as he will effectively be a lame duck when the changes take place.
After the release of preliminary results from the Georgian Election Commission suggesting he had won, Ivanishvili said the next logical step for Saakashvili would be to resign and call early presidential elections.
When asked if the new parliament would seek to impeach Saakashvili to force him to go, he answered: "it would be better if he did that himself."
He was later forced to clarify his statement, saying it was his opinion, and not a demand or ultimatum.
