Newly elected parliament plans to confirm new government and PM nominee Bidzina Ivanishvili at a session on October 25.

President Saakashvili has formally submitted to Parliament for confirmation the new cabinet, parliamentary chairman, Davit Usupashvili, said on Sunday during the Parliament’s inaugural session.

Parliamentary committees will hold hearings over the new cabinet and its program on Tuesday and Wednesday, he said.

Usupashvili also said that legal problems emerged in relations to the post of Public Defender, which up until now was regarded to be vacant.

Giorgi Tugushi served as Public Defender before President Saakashvili appointed him on the post of minister for penitentiary system on September 20, following the prison abuse scandal. 

But after becoming the minister, Tugushi has not formally filed for resignation from the post of the Public Defender, which means that technically he is still a human rights ombudsman, actually simultaneously holding two incompatible offices – one as Public Defender and another one as acting minister in the outgoing government.

Usupashvili said that he spoke with Tugushi and added that the latter confirmed to him that he had not filed for resignation from the post of Public Defender.

Usupashvili also said that consultations would take place to decide who to address this situation.