Saakashvili Signs Law Stripping Him of Vital Powers

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili signed amendments to the country’s Constitution on Wednesday, which reduce his authority and tip the balance of power toward the prime minister. The Georgian parliament passed the amendments, which include stripping the president of the right to appoint or dismiss the government without parliamentary approval, on March 25. “Today [on Wednesday] the Georgian president signed amendments to the Constitution; they will be published and will come into force later today,” Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili said. The signing marks a new victory for billionaire Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, whose Georgian Dream coalition has been locked in a power struggle with Saakashvili's United National Movement after winning the parliamentary elections last October.

http://en.ria.ru/politics/20130327/180280921/Saakashvili-Signs-Law-Stripping-Him-of-Vital-Powers.html