26 opposition parties urge int’l partners to ‘remind’ Georgian gov’t to release opposition leaders
The opposition says that the ruling party refuses to fully meet the March 8 election agreement with the opposition. Photo: IPN.
Tweet 
Share
Twenty-six opposition parties and one independent MP have released a joint statement earlier today in which they urged the country’s foreign partners ‘to remind’ the ruling Georgian Dream party ‘how important it is to fully fulfil the March 8 election agreements’ with the opposition.
The statement says that fully abiding by the agreement includes the release of opposition leaders Irakli Okruashvili and Gigi Ugulava and the opposition supporter Giorgi Rurua.
As soon as the coronavirus pandemic fades, this (not fully meeting the agreement) will again throw the country back into political turmoil and increase risks in the run up to the October elections,” the statement reads.
#Georgia's opposition parties' open letter to the international community on the implementation of the March 8 agreement between Government and opposition on constitutional changes and release of political prisoners pic.twitter.com/mJvPaMtwsl
— EuropeanGeorgia (@EuropeanGeorgia) April 23, 2020
In the agreement reached on March 8 through the mediation of the diplomatic corps, the Georgian Dream party and the united opposition agreed to hold the upcoming parliamentary elections this October with 120 seats in the legislative body to be distributed via a proportional vote and the remaining 30 via the majoritarian system.
The opposition says that the ruling party also agreed to release convicted opposition leaders and members, which the ruling party did not confirm.
On April 13 Okruashvili was sentenced to five years in prison.
Co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the monitoring of Georgia, Titus Corlatean and Claude Kern, have stated that the March 8 election agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition ‘offers a window of opportunity for Georgia’s democratic consolidation.’
The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party has denied to participate in parliament's work despite the recent election deal with the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party last week, stating that not all conditions of the agreement have been fulfilled.
Several opposition parties adopted a joint statement earlier today, after making an election deal with the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party yesterday, stating that despite the agreement on the 2020 elections, the ruling party and the opposition still fail to agree about the status of people ‘detained on political grounds.’
Leader of European Georgia opposition party and ex-Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava has been sentenced to three years and two months in prison by Georgian Supreme Court for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL from Tbilisi Municipal Development fund while in office. In February 2018 the Tbilisi Court of Appeals also sentenced Ugulava to one year and three months to prison in the case. However, the sentence was absorbed by another sentence Ugulava faced.
The Georgian parliament will discuss a bill regarding the upcoming parliamentary elections in the autumn on Sunday, June 21, in its first reading.
Who has partnered with the United National Movement?
Opposition parties in Georgia have created two electoral blocs today.