European Council president to visit Tbilisi after majority of Georgian parties sign agreement
European Council President Charles Michel will hold meetings with the leaders of Georgian political parties in Tbilisi. Photo: EU.
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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.
Agreement in #Georgia
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) April 19, 2021
Sakartvelos Gaumarjos!
Congratulations to political leaders on signing the deal out of the current crisis.
You put the people's interests first and let democracy prevail.
Thanks to President @Zourabichvili_S and all parties. pic.twitter.com/cBm4pRQwWr
The Georgian Dream ruling party, Lelo opposition party, Citizens, Republicans, Strategy Agmashenebeli and Girchi signed the agreement in the presidential palace yesterday.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has tweeted:
The political crisis is over! Thank you to @eucopresident for his thorough involvement in this process. And thank you to the political parties who today, put country above party and signed a way ahead for Georgia.@CharlesMichel, see you tomorrow in Tbilisi! pic.twitter.com/o7RGgB31a6
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) April 19, 2021
Former Member of the European Georgia opposition party David Bakradze and a member of the United National Movement opposition party Salome Samadashvili signed the agreement individually.
The United National Movement which received most, 34 of 60 opposition mandates in the 150-member parliament, has not signed the agreement so far, as well as European Georgia opposition party and Labour party.
The founder of the United National Movement party, former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has stated that he dislikes the proposal, adding that ‘devil is in details.’
Leader of Labour Party Shalva Natelashvili has stated that signing the agreement is ‘absolutely unacceptable for me.’
EU ambassador to Georgia has tweeted:
To all elected Members of Parliament of Georgia: you are invited to sign the agreement at the EU Delegation, tomorrow (Tuesday) from 9am.
— Carl Hartzell (@CarlHartzellEU) April 19, 2021
Didi Madloba! pic.twitter.com/ukMlikIdtC
The Georgian opposition parties which have won seats in the 10th convocation of the Georgian parliament say that the last year parliamentary elections were fabricated and have been demanding repeat elections since November 2020.
The arrest of the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia for his refusal to pay bail on February 23, 2021(in the case of June 2019 protests) further complicated the political tension.
The top demands of the opposition included the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections, the release of Melia and the co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua who was convicted last year for the illegal possession and carrying of firearms.
Gilotsav Sakartvelo! pic.twitter.com/MYzuCmhXBI
— Carl Hartzell (@CarlHartzellEU) April 19, 2021
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili stated yesterday that she will pardon Rurua if opposition enters parliament.
Michel sent mediator Christian Danielsson twice to Georgia last month to help the parties come to an agreement.
However, both efforts ended without the result.
Only the ruling Georgian Dream party signed Danielsson’s proposal earlier this month.
On April 18 Michel released his proposal and urged the parties to put state interests above party interests and take a step for solving the political tension.
In an open letter to the US senators, Georgian non-governmental organisations are calling for the United States for greater involvement in resolution of the political crisis in Georgia.
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.
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 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.
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.’
The third president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, who currently holds an official post in Ukraine, has urged the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party to sign the new proposal by the EU and enter parliament after UNM leader Nika Melia leaves prison ‘without posting bail and in a dignified manner.’
European Council President Charles Michel has come to Tbilisi earlier today, shortly after the majority of Georgian political parties signed his proposal to solve the political tension in Georgia which began following the 2020 parliamentary elections. After a meeting with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, Michel said that he is happy Georgian political parties have come to an agreement and stated that ‘today marks the start of hard work that will take Georgia forward along its Euro-Atlantic path.’
European Council President Charles Michel, who arrived in Georgia after the Georgian opposition and authorities signed the EU-proposed agreement, has stated that the ability to come to a compromise is a strength, not a weakness.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has announced today that she will pardon opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV co-founder Giorgi Rurua on April 27. Zurabishvili had stated earlier on April 19 that she would pardon Rurua if Georgian political parties signed the renewed EU-proposed agreement and if opposition MPs entered parliament.
MEPs Marina Kaljurand, Sven Mikser and Viola Von Cramon have welcomed the signing of the EU-mediated proposal by majority of Georgian political parties to put an end to the political tension in Georgia which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Civil activists have gathered in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi to protest the amnesty bill that is scheduled to be submitted next week.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has stated earlier today that ‘it is likely Georgian political parties have built a large consensus on the election bill, in line with the EU-mediated agreement signed by the majority of the parties back in April.'