Diplomatic corps welcomes adoption of election bill: ‘we would like all sides to respect our role’
Foreign ambassadors have responded to the adoption of the election bill. Photo: netgazeti.
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Foreign ambassadors who facilitated the election talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition, resulting in the March 8 election agreement, have welcomed the adoption of the election bill in its third and final reading earlier today.
In the statement the ambassadors also said that ‘we would like all sides to respect our role and integrity as facilitators of this process,’ allegedly referring to recent allegations against German ambassador to Georgia by several Georgian opposition leaders.
We warmly congratulate the parliament of Georgia on today’s adoption of Constitutional amendments designed to increase parliamentary pluralism and allow for a more representative legislature. We recognise that these amendments reflect difficult compromises by Georgia’s political parties and commend those who ensured their successful passage. We regret the non-participation of some parties due to differences over the fulfilment of the 8 March agreement,” said the statement.
The ambassadors urged all parties to now engage in the adoption and ‘effective implementation’ of the election reforms recommended by OSCE/ODIHR.
“These much-needed reforms will help ensure a free, fair, and transparent election environment where Georgians can cast their votes freely at the ballot box.Upholding the commitments contained in the 8 March agreement to address actions that could be perceived as inappropriate politicization of Georgia’s judicial and electoral processes remains crucial to the integrity of the country’s democracy and rule of law, especially during this election period. We will continue to monitor closely these commitments in the run-up to the October elections,” said the facilitators.
The United National Movement and European Georgia opposition parties refused to participate in today’s vote in parliament because the co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua remains in pretrial detention.
The opposition claims that the ruling Georgian Dream party promised the release of Rurua, who was detained last year for alleged illegal possession of firearms, during the election talks, along with opposition leaders Irakli Okruashvilli and Gigi Ugulava.
The ruling party says no such promise was made.
The final vote was preceded by the opposition’s critical statement of the German ambassador who also said that ‘Rurua was not mentioned’ in the March 8 election agreement.’
Opposition leader Shalva Natelashvili accused the ambassador of ‘being bribed by the ruling party head Bidzina Ivanishvili,’ while the United National Movement MP Salome Samadashvili said that the ambassador ‘has made several diplomatic mistakes.’
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The adopted changes will ensure a more proportional electoral system for this year’s parliamentary elections before Georgia transforms to a fully proportional vote from 2024.
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 and the united opposition have reached an agreement on holding 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.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that through the passing of the election bill earlier today, ‘Georgia has taken another important step to ensure its European and Euro-Atlantic future.’"The new electoral system which was adopted demonstrates the Georgian Dream's strong will to consistently implement the most important changes for the country, which no other political force has been able to achieve, and which serves to further consolidate a European parliamentary democracy in Georgia,” Gakharia said.
The Georgian parliament has passed the election bill drafted with the mediation of the diplomatic corps in its third and final reading earlier today. 117 MPs voted for and three went against the bill which will institute a more proportional electoral system for this autumn’s parliamentary elections. The United National Movement and European Georgia opposition parties refused to participate in the vote, stating that with the continued incarceration of the co-founder of opposition-minded TV channel Giorgi Rurua, the ruling party ‘did not fully abide by the March 8 election agreement.’
The US Department of State and the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Georgia, have welcomed the ‘historic adoption’ of constitutional amendments by the Georgian parliament earlier today.
The Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has signed the bill of amendments to the election system, calling the constitutional changes a serious step towards democracy and stability. The Georgian parliament has passed an election bill drafted with the mediation of the diplomatic corps in its third and final reading earlier today.
The Delegation of the European Union to Georgia has issued a statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in which it 'condemns the attacks of certain political actors and media outlets' against the Ambassador of Germany Hubert Knirsch.
German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch, who was one of the facilitators in the ruling Georgian Dream party and the united opposition’s election talks, says that he is surprised by critical comments made against him which came after his statement regarding the imprisoned co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua and the election agreement.