Ruling party denies opposition’s reports on release of opposition leaders

The ruling Georgian Dream party has denied the reports of the opposition that per the election agreement yesterday several opposition leaders will be released from prison. 

No concrete decisions have been made concerning the individuals the opposition has mentioned. We have made a general agreement on the issue that justice must be free from political interference, which has always been the priority of the Georgian Dream government,” Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze said. 

He stated that the Georgian Dream will win the upcoming, 2020 parliamentary elections with a renewed team and programme. 

We rely on our people, our voters,” he said. 

 Leader of New Georgia opposition party Giorgi Vashadze said that the opposition agreed with the ruling party yesterday that the leader of the European Georgia Gigi Ugulava, who has been convicted for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL state funds, will be released through a presidential pardon. 

He added that Irakli Okruashvili, Giorgi Rurua and Besik Tamliani will also be released ‘with the use of another mechanism, which might be release on bail.’ 

The ruling party and the opposition agreed yesterday in talks mediated by the diplomatic corps to hold the upcoming elections in the autumn with 120 seats in the legislative body distributed via a proportional vote and the remaining 30 via the majoritarian system.

• Georgian PM: election agreement will strengthen democracy, decrease polarisation

The agreement also foresees a ‘fair composition of election districts’, a one per cent election threshold, and a cap recognising that no single party that wins less than 40 per cent of the votes should be able to form a majority in the next parliament.

Agreement in the dialogue! Crucial step towards depolarisation in the interest of the people and country of Georgia. Congratulations to all! https://t.co/rlI1wavjpe

— Carl Hartzell (@CarlHartzellEU) March 8, 2020