The Constituent Assembly of Georgia and the Formation of the New Memory Politics

Abstract

The paper deals with the ongoing debates of June, 1919, held in the Constituent Assembly of Georgia, on the issue of reducing the number of public holidays in the country. Out of the 20 public holidays of those times, 16 were religious and 4 civil. The civil holidays were established by the parliament according to the decree of December 31, 1918. The following days were declared as the public holidays: January 1; the first day of the Russian Great Revolution – March 12; the day of proletarian internationalism – May 1; the day of declaration of independence of Georgia – May 26. During the discussions held in the Constituent Assembly of Georgia, the Social Democrats demanded for the abolition of 8 ecclesiastical public holidays in the calendar of the Democratic Republic of Georgia and their request was satisfied. The speech of Aleksandre Asatiani (the member of National Democratic Party) was hotly debated. He demanded for launching consultations with the Church on the issue of reducing the number of religious holidays, that was denied by the majority party – Social Democrats. The Social Democrats also denied the second initiative of Aleksandre Asatiani – on withdrawals of May 1 and March 12 from the list of the national public holidays. The socialist nature of the Constituent Assembly of Georgia became apparent on the issue of introducing the national public holidays.
Key words: the Democratic Republic of Georgia; the Constituent Assembly of Georgia; the memory politics;

კვლევა განხორციელდა შოთა რუსთაველის საქართველოს ეროვნული სამეცნიერო ფონდის საგრანტო პროექტის „საქართველოს დამფუძნებელი კრება: ქართული პარლამენტარიზმის გამოცდილება“ ფარგლებში. გრანტის კოდი: FR – 18 – 20157