US Embassy ‘deeply disappointed’ by ruling party’s ‘rushed passage’ of amendments to Georgia’s Administrative Code
The United States Embassy released a statement after the 150-member parliament adopted the amendments to the Administrative Code with 72 votes in favour earlier today. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge archive
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The United States Embassy to Georgia is ‘deeply disappointed’ by the ruling Georgian Dream party’s ‘rushed passage’ of amendments to Georgia’s Administrative Code.
Expedited passage of these amendments was unnecessary and unhelpful. The lack of meaningful consultation with opposition parties, civil society and other stakeholders raises questions about the purpose of the amendments”, the Embassy has announced.
The Embassy said that the April 19 agreement among Georgia’s political leaders ‘calls on the parties to act together in good faith to reduce the deep polarisation that undermines Georgia’s democratic progress’.
Georgian Dream, as the majority party in parliament, has a special responsibility to ensure the April 19 agreement is implemented in that spirit, and to govern transparently and inclusively. By failing to consult fully with stakeholders on such important legislation, the ruling party has fallen short on this occasion”, it said.
Noting that Georgia now has ‘a broad-based multiparty parliament, which is what voters chose’, the statement reads that ‘it is time for all parties, especially Georgian Dream, to work together in Parliament to address the priority issues of importance to the people of Georgia’.
U.S. Embassy Statement on Administrative Code Legislation | U.S. Embassy in Georgia https://t.co/91ilF2YLEr
— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) April 29, 2021
With its third hearing today the parliament of Georgia adopted the amendments to the Administrative Code, which was proposed by the ruling party earlier this week.
Parliament adopted the amendments with 72 votes in favour today. Photo: Parliament's press office
Based on the amendments the duration of the administrative detention will increase from 12 to 24 hours. However, additional 24 hours may be considered if further evidence needs to be gathered.
The penalty for police disobedience will increase from GEL 2,000 to GEL 3,000, while repeated violation will be fined with GEL 3,500-4,500 or administrative detention for 7 to 15 days.
The repeated act of petty hooliganism will result in a fine of GEL 1,500-2,000 instead of the current GEL 500-1000 or administrative detention for 5 to 15 days.
Opposition politicians who signed the EU-mediated agreement on April 19 have called on others to consolidate their efforts and make the ruling party fulfil its obligations. They also call on the opposition politicians who refuse to sign the document to take more responsibility on the current political processes.
The European Union Delegation to Georgia ‘warmly welcomes’ the decisions taken by Georgia’s political leaders in line with the European Council President Charles Michel's proposal aimed to solve the political tension in Georgia. It meanwhile calls on all other elected MPs ‘to join the agreement and contribute to its implementation, in the interest of Georgia, its citizens, EU-Georgia relations and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future’.
Georgian parliament has elected Kakha Kuchava, 42, as the new speaker of the state legislature, replacing Archil Talakvadze in the post. 86 MPs voted for Kuchava in the 150-member parliament, including opposition legislators from Citizens and European Socialists. Kuchava holds a MA degree in Corporate Law from Nottingham Trent University.
Opposition MPs who have signed the EU-mediated agreement with the ruling Georgian Dream party earlier this month have entered parliament earlier today.