PM Gakharia: jeopardising election agreement absolutely unacceptable
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that the fulfilment of the March 8 election agreement is critically important for the ruling party. Photo: Prime Minister’s press office.
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Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that the placement of the ruling party and the opposition March 8 election agreement at any risk is ‘absolutely unacceptable’, responding to the opposition’s allegations that the Georgian Dream ruling party refuses to fully abide by the agreement.
Gakharia and the ruling party say that they have not created any threats to the agreement which was facilitated by foreign ambassadors, while the opposition says that the ruling party broke its promise to release several opposition leaders ‘which was part of the agreement.’
Gakharia said that the election agreement is one of the biggest achievements and holding the upcoming 2020 parliamentary elections per the agreement is ‘critically important’ for the ruling party.
The agreement on the electoral system in the country is a fundamental issue on which the entire political spectrum has reached an agreement. The proportional system, or one that is close to the proportional system, within the framework of which we will hold this year’s elections after the constitutional amendments, is of critical importance to me personally, and to our team. This is a systemic issue that emphasises the quality of Georgian democracy and establishes the vector of its future development; this unequivocally is the greatest achievement. Questioning the constitutional amendments in any shape or form is categorically unacceptable to me – I cannot even imagine this and I am of the opinion that this is simply impossible,” Gakharia said.
The opposition says that it the ruling party which lies regarding the agreement. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze urged foreign ambassadors earlier today to confirm that the Georgian Dream ruling party made no promise to release opposition leaders and members in the March 8 election agreement.
Talakvadze said that the opposition is trying to cheat the people and is making false statements regarding the agreement, as the talks were held behind closed doors.
For its part the opposition accuses the government of placing the agreement at risk through ‘prosecution of opposition leaders and members.’
The opposition says that several of the ambassadors have already released statements regarding the arrest of opposition leaders and advised the government to ‘have a good read of the statements’.
A bill has been registered in parliament per the agreement of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the opposition on March 8.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that it is fulfilling all the conditions of the election agreement made with the opposition last week with the mediation of the diplomatic corps, responding to allegations of the opposition regarding the release of imprisoned opposition leaders and members.
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.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has urged foreign ambassadors, who mediated election talks between the ruling party and the opposition, to confirm that the Georgian Dream ruling party made no promise to release opposition leaders and members in the March 8 election agreement.
Foreign ambassadors in Georgia, who have been working as facilitators in the dialogue between the government and opposition on 2020 election model, on Monday responded to calls to confirm contents of the March 8 agreement between the two parties by calling on them to "uphold" the deal.
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch has posted on his Twitter account that he expects political parties in Georgia to fully implement the March 8 agreement. At the same time Risch shared a statement released by the US Embassy on the March 8 agreement.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced today that she is pardoning Georgian opposition politicians Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okruashvili, which she said was ‘a very difficult decision’. Salome Zurabishvili said although she is very well aware of the ‘real actions and crimes’ of the two former officials, Ugulava and Okruashvili, nevertheless, as the president, she is pardoning them for the sake of 'the country’s interests’.