US senators welcome election agreement in Georgia, calling it ‘a critical step’ for democracy

US Senators Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,and Jeanne Shaheen,a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, have welcomed a recent agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition on how to hold the 2020 parliamentary elections, stating that making the deal will benefit the democratic development of the country. 

I am very glad to see an agreement reached by all sides of the Georgian political spectrum this weekend, and expect to see its full implementation in the coming weeks and months,” said Risch. 

He stated that earlier this year, Senator Shaheen and he wrote to Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia ‘to express our concern’ over recent events in Georgia and ‘advise’ that the Georgian government ‘put an end to democratic backsliding’.

I am pleased to say that this agreement is a critical step towards restoring democracy and good governance in Georgia. As Georgia prepares for parliamentary elections later this year, it is imperative that the agreed upon changes be put into place quickly and honoured by all sides,” he said. 

Shaheen stated that she is ‘encouraged to see the Georgian government take the first step in making good on its promise of electoral reforms’. 

This is crucial for their nation’s democracy,” Shaheen stated. 

She said that since 2012, ‘‘we’ve seen Georgia work diligently to make this democratic transition and they’ve made important progress toward that goal over the last eight years.”