The Georgian parliament has passed amendments to the law on national security, expanding the authority of the National Security Council, News Georgia reports.
Giorgy Bokeria has been supervising the council since November 20, 2010. He is one of the most authoritative supporters of President Mikhail Saakashvili. Batu Kutelia is Bokeria's deputy, earlier withdrawn as the Georgian ambassador to the USA.
The amendments allow the National Security Council to manage crisis situations of any sort if there is a threat to national interests and security and coordinate the fulfilment of orders and acts of the president. The council addresses the president. Thus, it becomes a structure of supreme political importance.
The Georgian National Security Council started work on the new plan taking into account the August 2008 with Russia.
The law on security planning had adjustments in November 2010, and functions of determining threats to Georgia were taken from the Defense Ministry and given to the council.
The document on the determination of threats is a basic document for the development of the National Security Concept of Georgia. Some media say that the amendments were introduced due to the appointment of Bokeria. The legal parliamentary committee denied this.
