PACE president in Georgia: stop playing, put EU-mediated agreement into practice
PACE President Rik Daems arrived in Georgia on an official visit earlier today. Photo:parliament of Georgia press office.
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President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Rik Daems has urged Georgian political parties to practically implement the April 19 EU-mediated agreement which includes large-scale reforms including in the electoral and judiciary fields.
Daems, who has met with the Georgian opposition and MPs earlier today, said that the EU-mediated agreement, which solved a six-month political crisis in Georgia, should be ‘fully implemented without further delay.’
He said that the fulfilment of the agreement will push Georgia towards ‘full European integration’.
Daems said that he has ‘never heard’ of municipal elections and ‘something like a referendum’ being conducted simultaneously as is planned in Georgia for the October 2 municipal elections.
Per the EU-mediated agreement if the ruling Georgian Dream party receives less than 43 per cent of total votes in the municipal elections, a repeat parliamentary elections must be held in the country, as the opposition has demanded this since the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Warmly welcomed Rik Daems, @PACE_President, at @GeoParliament to discuss parliamentary business, democratic consolidation, upcoming elections & other developments in the country. I am grateful to Mr. Daems for progressing the Georgian-PACE ties under his presidency! ???????? pic.twitter.com/mrvBtvuBsK
— Kakha Kuchava (@kkuchava) July 27, 2021
Daems said that ‘it is interesting but I have no plans to get involved.’
He also said that the recommendations of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission ‘are always important when you carry out reforms.’
Georgian Parliament Speaker Kakha Kuchava invited CoE observers to monitor municipal elections in Georgia.
The EU-mediated agreement was proposed by the European Council President Charles Michel to help the Georgian political parties resolve a political crisis which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Following the elections Georgian opposition parties refused to take up their seats in parliament because they said the elections were ‘fabricated’ by the ruling party.
The EU-mediated agreement was signed by a majority of Georgian political parties which won seats in parliament.
The opposition United National Movement, European Georgia and the Labour parties have not signed the agreement so far.
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 Parliament members Andrius Kubilius, Michael Gahler and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel call on the opposition United National Movement party to sign the EU-mediated agreement and enter the parliament of Georgia.
Opposition United National Movement (UNM) members will take up their parliamentary mandates after almost a six-month boycott, party chair Nika Melia has announced after the party’s political council meeting today.
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.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has annulled its signatory status to the April 19 EU-mediated agreement which resolved a six-month political crisis in the country following the 2020 parliamentary elections and proposed large-scale electoral and judiciary reforms.Head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze stated earlier today that the agreement initiated by the European Council President Charles Michel ‘had completed its mission’ and accused opposition parties of non-fulfilment of the agreement.
The Lelo opposition party has stated that they may boycott the October 2 municipal elections, while several opposition leaders have urged opposition MPs to give up their mandates as the ruling Georgian Dream party has left the April 19 EU-mediated agreement.
Leader of opposition party Girchi - More Freedom Zurab Japaridze has left parliament after the ruling Georgian Dream party’s withdrawal from the EU-mediated agreement early today, stating that the agreement was his reason for being in parliament. Japaridze claimed the ruling party decided to leave the agreement because it has ‘zero chance of receiving 43% of the vote in upcoming elections’ – a condition provided for in the EU-mediated agreement, which if not met would see repeat parliamentary elections in Georgia.