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.
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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.