Ruling party signs EU proposal amid political tension: ‘it’s opposition’s turn’
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has stated that the ruling party has expressed ‘high responsibility’ by signing the agreement. Photo: Archil Talakvadze’s Facebook page.
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The ruling Georgian Dream party has signed a EU-proposed agreement by mediator Christian Danielsson earlier today which concerns ‘ambitious electoral and judicial reform’ and offers amnesty for suspects and convicts of the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi, including the currently imprisoned head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia.
The Georgian Dream party and the opposition failed to sign the same agreement at the end of March 2021, following the second arrival of Danielsson to help the parties come to an agreement.
The opposition parties, which have been demanding repeat parliamentary elections since November 2020, stated that the conduct of repeat elections were their top demand, while the proposal by Danielsson does not include a note about the issue.
.@DanielssonEU, Envoy of @eucopresident for EU mediated dialogue in Georgia, publishes proposal made today to Georgian political parties.
— EU Delegation Georgia ???????? (@EUinGeorgia) March 30, 2021
➡️English: https://t.co/qAO8G1IRhn
➡️Georgian: https://t.co/36e5EUr6PI
The ruling Georgian Dream party stated then that they were ready to sign the agreement with ‘slight changes.’
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze said earlier today that signing the agreement points at the ‘high responsibility of the ruling party.’
Now it’s time for the opposition to sign the agreement. The opposition has one more chance to confirm that they put state interests above their own political interests,” Talakvadze said.
He stated that the EU proposal does not include the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections ‘because our partners have no questions about the legitimacy of the elections.’
However, Talakvadze said that if the ruling party will not receive at least 40 per cent of votes in this year’s municipal elections, the party will discuss the issue of conduct of repeat parliamentary elections.
The agreement which was offered by Danielsson said that ‘all future parliamentary elections in Georgia shall be fully proportional. The next two parliamentary elections shall have a threshold between natural and 2%.’
It also stated that the parliament ‘shall adopt ambitious judicial reform in this parliamentary term.’
Danielsson with Georgian opposition leaders during his second arrival in Georgia in March. Photo: EU in Georgia press office.
The document said that opposition MPs shall be assigned five committee chairmanships in parliament.
The document cited OSCE/ODIHR as saying that the October 31 parliamentary elections in Georgia ‘were competitive and, overall, fundamental freedoms were respected’.
The parties acknowledge their differing assessment of the 2020 elections and agree to take up their parliamentary mandates and participate in future elections on the basis of the electoral reform agreed here above, in the interest of Georgia’s political stability and in order to implement this agreement,” said the text.
Danielsson, who was earlier sent to Georgia for mediation by the European Council President Charles Michel on March 12, returned back to Tbilisi on March 27 after the failure of his previous mediation efforts.
However, his second arrival ended without result as well.
Danilesson expressed hope before his departure that the parties would sign the agreement to solve the current political tension in the country.
The US Department of State is ‘disappointed’ that the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition have not yet come to an agreement to ease the current political tension in Georgia, Voice of America (VoA) cites the US Department of State as saying.
In an open letter to the US senators, Georgian non-governmental organisations are calling for the United States for greater involvement in resolution of the political crisis in Georgia.
The leader of the United National Movement opposition party (UNM) Nika Melia was refused bail earlier today. The Judge of Tbilisi City Court Nino Chakhnashvili dismissed Melia from the courtroom because Melia called her ‘a slave’ (of the current government). The opposition parties which have been demanding Melia’s release for about two months have stated earlier today that the government ‘is not willing to ease the current political tension’ and that Melia ‘remains a political prisoner.’
The ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition have failed to come to an agreement in EU-mediated talks for the second time. The document offered by EU mediator Christian Danielsson yesterday which concerned ‘ambitious electoral and judicial reform’ and offered amnesty for suspects and convicts of the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi was not signed by any of the parties.
European Parliament members Viola von Cramon-Taubadel and Marina Kaljurand call on the Georgian opposition to follow the example of the ruling party and sign the EU-proposed agreement to solve the current political crisis.
Opposition politicians will gather at Rike Park in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on Monday, April 19, to inform the population about their further plans.
Spokespeople of the High Representative of the European Union/Vice-President of European Commission and the United States Department of State call on all members of the parliament of Georgia to sign the agreement that President of the European Council Charles Michel will propose today.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has stated that they are ready to sign the new proposal by the EU to solve the political tension in Georgia which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections. The agreement released by the European Council President Charles Michel on the weekend offers a pardon for all violations and convictions stemming from the 19-21 June 2019 protests in Tbilisi and says that if the ruling party fails to receive at least 43 per cent of votes in this year’s municipal elections, they should accept the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections.
The European Council President Charles Michel will visit Georgia in the afternoon to meet with the leaders of the political parties who signed his proposal yesterday in Tbilisi to solve the political tension in the country which began following the 2020 parliamentary elections. The proposal by Michel covers electoral and justice reforms, offers pardon for all violations and convictions stemming from the 19-21 June 2019 protests and the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections in 2022 if the ruling party fails to receive at least 43 per cent of votes in this year’s municipal elections.
Ultranationalist businessman Levan Vasadze, who has actively participated in anti-LGBT campaigns in recent years, has announced his plans earlier today to enter politics.