Ruling party, opposition fail to agree on amnesty bill for June 2019 protests
The ruling Georgian Dream party may present its amnesty bill for voting. Photo: parliament of Georgia press office.
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The ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition were unable to come to an agreement on an amnesty bill for June 2019 protests, according to the EU-mediated agreement signed by both parties back in April 2021.
Lelo opposition party MP Badri Japaridze has stated that the ruling party will present its own bill for voting in the coming hours ‘which will not be supported by the parliamentary opposition.’
Japaridze says that the opposition bill is ‘in full line’ with the EU-mediated agreement.
He says that the opposition’s bill proposes amnesty for two articles, while the ruling party bill covers more articles.
According to our bill a victim must accept the release of the policemen who face charges for the rally dispersal in June 2019. The ruling party is against the note. Per our bill the consent of a pardoned individual is not needed for his release, while the ruling party says that the consent must be in place,” Japaridze said.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that there is a disagreement between opposition parties regarding the amnesty bill.
June 2019 protests were sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament.
Several opposition leaders, including the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia faces charges for violence during the protests.
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.'
The European Georgia opposition party has made a final decision earlier today and stated that the party will not enter the state legislature, while three of its five mandates have already been taken up.
Tbilisi City Court has accepted the release of the head of the United National Movement Nika Melia after the European Union posted Melia’s 40,000 GEL bail on May 8, following the EU-mediated agreement between Georgian political parties in April. After the completion of technical issues Melia will leave Rustavi prison where he has been in pretrial custody since February 23, 2021.
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.
The European Parliament has appointed MEPs Marina Kaljurand and Miriam Lexmann to co-facilitate Georgian parliamentary mediation and dialogue with MEP Viola von Cramon, who will chair the EP’s Jean Monnet Dialogue for Peace and Democracy, the European Parliament Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG) has reported.