US, PACE Georgia monitors welcome ‘historic adoption’ of constitutional amendments
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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 United States applauds Georgia’s historic adoption of constitutional amendments on June 29. We urge Georgia’s parliament to pass additional election reforms that ensure free, fair, and transparent elections later this year. https://t.co/XpalcYDNoc
— Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) June 29, 2020
The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Georgia, Titus Corlatean and Claude Kern have welcomed the adoption of the election bill.
The Assembly has consistently called for the introduction of a proportional election system in Georgia. That will now be the case as from the 2024 elections. In addition, as a result of the adoption of these Constitutional amendments, the system for the next elections in 2020 will now also be far more proportional than was previously the case, which potentially could allow for a more pluralist and representative parliament. We strongly welcome this,” said the co-rapporteurs.
The co-rapporteurs regretted that the political agreement had not resulted in a less tense and polarised political environment.
We call on all sides to seek cooperation over confrontation and to constructively pursue the implementation of the remainder of the 8 March political agreement. In addition, we call on all stakeholders to refrain from any statements and actions that could increase tensions and polarisation or otherwise negatively affect the environment needed for the conduct of genuinely democratic elections,” PACE monitors said.
117 MPs voted for the bill. Two opposition factions refused to attend.
The delegation of the Council of Europe (CoE), which met with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia earlier today, has welcomed the recent agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the opposition on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections, the government of Georgia press office reports.
A bill has been registered in parliament per the agreement of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the opposition on March 8.
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.
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 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.
MEP Marina Kaljurand, who chairs the delegation to the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee, and the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur on Georgia MEP Sven Mikser have welcomed the adoption of the Georgian election bill yesterday, stating that the passing of the constitutional amendments is ‘an important milestone in the development of Georgia’s democratic life.’
High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell Fontelles, has welcomed the adoption of the constitutional amendments by the Georgian parliament yesterday.
Member of the European Parliament, Co-President of the Euronest PA, Andrius Kubilius has welcomed the adoption of Georgian constitutional amendments on June 29 which will ensure more proportional electoral system for the autumn parliamentary elections.
The Georgian parliament is discussing amendments to the country’s electoral code which come following the adoption of the election bill on June 29.