Libertarian opposition leader Japaridze leaves parliament following ruling party exit from EU-mediated agreement
Japaridze further told Georgian MPs that ‘this is how a dictatorship is established, slowly and arrogantly.’ Photo: Girchi press office.
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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.
He also said that the ruling party ‘once again proved that they are liars’ and noted that ‘agreeing with them has no value at all.’
The implementation of this agreement was important for the country–that's what the Americans and Europeans thought,” said Japaridze.
Zurab Japaridze also underscored that the party’s withdraw from the April 19 agreement is equivalent to the ‘rejection of this country’s Euro-Atlantic future.’
Japaridze further told Georgian MPs that ‘this is how a dictatorship is established, slowly and arrogantly.’
The ruling Georgian Dream party has announced earlier today that it is leaving the EU-mediated agreement, noting that it had ‘completed its mission.’
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.
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.
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.
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.
Georgian civil society organisations say the recent decision of the ruling Georgian Dream party to back out of the April 19 EU-mediated agreement ‘constitutes a straightforward rejection of Georgia's Euro-Atlantic course and the peaceful development of the country through democratic reforms’.
Opposition parties are undecided what to do after the ruling Georgian Dream party left the EU-mediated agreement yesterday - a document signed by the majority of Georgian political parties back in April 2021 which resolved a six-month political crisis.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said earlier today that the implementation of reforms will continue despite the ruling Georgian Dream party’s withdrawal from the EU-mediated agreement which ended the six-month political crisis caused by the parliamentary elections of 2020. The April 19 agreement obliged all signatory parties to participate in the process of fundamental electoral and judicial reforms’ implementation.
Opposition MP Tamar Kordzaia has boycotted the parliamentary activities after the ruling Georgian Dream party’s withdrawal from the EU-mediated agreement. Kordzaia told IPN that she signed the agreement because ‘the western course is important,’ noting that parliamentary cooperation with the Georgian Dream is impossible.
The international community has criticised the ruling Georgian Dream party’s exit from the EU-mediated agreement which put an end to a six-month political standoff caused by parliamentary elections of 2020. Seven US senators have published a joint statement on the breakdown of the Georgian EU-mediated agreement which says that ‘recent developments in Georgia undermine the reform efforts agreed to in the April 19 agreement.’
The US Embassy in Georgia has responded to the ruling party’s exit from the EU-mediated agreement and stated that ‘Washington is growing increasingly alarmed about repeated setbacks to Georgia’s democratic future.’ The ruling Georgian Dream party announced yesterday that the agreement initiated by the European Council President Charles Michel ‘completed its mission’ and left the agreement.
European Council President Charles Michel has called on all political parties in Georgia today ‘to put the interests of citizens first’ following the ruling party’s exit from the EU-mediated agreement. The ruling Georgian Dream party has left the April 19 agreement brokered by Charles Michel, noting that it had ‘completed its mission.’