Ruling party ready to sign new EU proposal to solve political tension
The ruling party has already signed the previous proposal by the EU. Photo: Georgian Dream press office.
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The ruling Georgian Dream party has stated that they are ready to sign the new proposal by the EU to solve the political tension in Georgia which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
The agreement released by the European Council President Charles Michel on the weekend offers a pardon for all violations and convictions stemming from the 19-21 June 2019 protests in Tbilisi and says that if the ruling party fails to receive at least 43 per cent of votes in this year’s municipal elections, they should accept the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections.
The ruling party said earlier today that they were ready to accept the conduct of repeal elections if they received at least 40 per cent of votes in municipal elections.
We are ready to accept the 43 per cent as well,” said the party.
Three MPs of the Girchi party have already signed, while Lelo opposition has stated they will also sign the new proposal.
The leaders of the United National Movement and European Georgia opposition parties say that the opposition should sign Michel's proposal.
However, they say that consultations are still in progress inside the parties because several members of the parties are against the signing.
Leader of Strategy Agmashenebeli has stated that he approves the signing of the proposal.
Three MPs of the Girchi party have signed, while Lelo has stated they will also sign the new proposal by the EU to solve the political tension in Georgia which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
The agreement released by the European Council President Charles Michel on the weekend offers a pardon for all violations and convictions stemming from the 19-21 June 2019 protests in Tbilisi and says that if the ruling party fails to receive at least 43 per cent of votes in this year’s municipal elections, they should accept the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections.
Several changes have been made to the European Union-backed compromise to end the political crisis in Georgia. Head of the EU Delegation to Georgia Carl Hartzell, who introduced the changes to politicians earlier today, said this is a proposal that President of the European Council Charles Michel ‘views as balanced and realistic’.
Spokespeople of the High Representative of the European Union/Vice-President of European Commission and the United States Department of State call on all members of the parliament of Georgia to sign the agreement that President of the European Council Charles Michel will propose today.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has signed a EU-proposed agreement by mediator Christian Danielsson earlier today which concerns ‘ambitious electoral and judicial reform’ and offers amnesty for suspects and convicts of the June 19 protests in Tbilisi, including the currently imprisoned head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia. The Georgian Dream party and the opposition failed to sign the same agreement at the end of March 2021, following the second arrival of Danielsson to help the parties come to an agreement.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has stated that she will pardon the co-founder of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV channel Giorgi Rurua if Georgian political parties sign the new proposal by the European Council President Charles Michel to solve the political tension and if opposition MPs take up their mandates.
Georgian non-governmental organisations Transparency International Georgia, International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, and Georgian Young Lawyers Association state that all political parties should sign the new proposal by the EU to solve the political tension in Georgia which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
The European Council President Charles Michel will visit Georgia in the afternoon to meet with the leaders of the political parties who signed his proposal yesterday in Tbilisi to solve the political tension in the country which began following the 2020 parliamentary elections. The proposal by Michel covers electoral and justice reforms, offers pardon for all violations and convictions stemming from the 19-21 June 2019 protests and the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections in 2022 if the ruling party fails to receive at least 43 per cent of votes in this year’s municipal elections.
The United States welcomes the agreement reached by the government of Georgia and several opposition parties on April 19, under the mediation of European Union President Charles Michel, to bring an end to Georgia’s political crisis, announces the US Embassy to Georgia.
Georgian Prime Irakli Garibashvili has responded to signing the EU-proposal by majority of Georgian parties to solve the current political tension in the country and stated that ‘now, everyone, should be focused on solving major challenges the country faces.’