Opposition to enter parliament next week to submit amnesty bill, per EU-mediated agreement
The amnesty bill will cover those charged for involvement in events during the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi which were sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament. Photo: EU in Georgia press office.
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Opposition parties which have signed the EU-mediated agreement with the ruling Georgian Dream party will enter the state legislature on April 27 to submit an amnesty bill.
Six Georgian political parties and several individual MPs signed the proposal by the European Council President Charles Michel on April 19 to solve the political tension in Georgia which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
The opposition says that the elections in October 2020 were fabricated and have been demanding repeat elections since November 2020.
Remarks by Charles #Michel, @eucopresident, at the signing ceremony of the #Georgia agreement with @Zourabichvili_S.
— EU Council TV News (@EUCouncilTVNews) April 19, 2021
"This agreement is the starting point for consolidating Georgia's #democracy and taking Georgia forward on its Euro-Atlantic future"https://t.co/YBGnEHR897
The arrest of the head of the United National Movement Nika Melia on February 23 for his refusal to bail for his charges related to the June 2019 protests further stoked tension between the government and the opposition.
The proposal by Michel released on April 18 covers electoral and justice reforms, offers a 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.
Melia says that he is against posting bail. Photo: RFE/RL.
The United National Movement, European Georgia and Labour party have not signed the agreement so far.
We will try to adopt the amnesty law as soon as possible to allow the release of Melia if he will not be earlier by using other means (posting bail),” said UNM member Salome Samadashvili yesterday after a meeting with Michel in Tbilisi.
Samadashvili individually signed the agreement on April 19.
Melia says that he is offended by reports that someone may post bail for him.
He stated that he did not post the bail because ‘it was unfair.’
Melia says that he is concerned that the amnesty will also concern the law enforcers ‘who used excessive force’ during June 2019 protests which were sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament.
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.
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.’
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.’
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 US Department of State has urged the remaining opposition parties and individual MPs to sign the EU-mediated agreement to resolve the political tension in Georgia which began after the October 2020 parliamentary elections.
US Ambassador Kelly Degnan says that it is completely up to the United National Movement opposition party leader Nika Melia whether or not he leaves prison.
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.
Currently imprisoned head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia is ready to post bail and leave prison if parliament will not register the amnesty bill for convictions stemming from the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi, according to the recent EU-mediated agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has pardoned the co-founder of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV channel Giorgi Rurua shortly after opposition MPs took up their mandates earlier today, in line with the EU-mediated agreement.
Ambassadors of the European Union and the United States Carl Hartzell and Kelly Degnan have sent a joint letter to the civil activists injured during June 20, 2019. Hartzell and Degnan say that as Georgia’s partners, they have worked ‘to help end an extended political crisis emanating from the parliamentary elections 2020.
The Parliament of Georgia has started discussions of an amnesty bill concerning the June 2019 protests. The bill was initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream party and was discussed during the first hearing last week.
Before the first hearing of the bill, the ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition were unable to come to an agreement on the amnesty bill, initiated according to the EU-mediated agreement signed by the ruling party and the majority of political parties back in April 2021.