Int’l community criticises ruling party’s withdrawal from EU-mediated agreement
The ruling Georgian Dream party left the EU-mediated agreement yesterday. Photo: Georgian Dream press office.
Tweet 
Share
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.’
It also underlined that the US worked closely in partnership with the EU and Georgian political parties ‘to deliver a strong, multiparty agreement that paved the way for critical judicial and electoral reforms.’
It was disappointing that not all elected parties signed the agreement or implemented the agreement in good faith,” US senators stated.
Senators criticised the ruling party’s decision to walk away from the agreement, noting that the Georgian Dream is obliged ‘to set aside political differences and pursue an inclusive, multiparty parliamentary process that benefits all Georgians.’
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch, who was one of the authors of the senators’ joint statement, noted that the ruling Georgian Dream party does not take into consideration the entire country’s interests and ‘only cares about its own future.’
Georgian Dream’s decision to walk away from the April 19 agreement is an abdication of gov’t responsibility, and seems to indicate that the party only cares about its own future – not that of the entire country. The people of #Georgia deserve better.
— Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member (@SenateForeign) July 28, 2021
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price has called on all political parties to work together for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, underscoring the possible risks of returning to a political crisis in Georgia.
The Georgian Dream Party’s withdrawal from the April 19 Agreement undermines an agreed upon way forward for the country through needed reforms and risks a return to political crises. We call on all parties to work together to advance Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration.
— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) July 29, 2021
European Parliament member Viola von Cramon has also responded to the latest developments in Georgia and stated that Georgian Foreign Minister Zalkaliani’s recent interview for Euractiv on the Eastern Partnership and European integration ‘looks especially ridiculous.’
After the latest domestic developments in #GEO this interview looks especially ridiculous. #GeorgianDream openly stated to annul their signature from April19th agreement with the #EU. Georgia FM: We need a post-2020 Eastern Partnership agenda perspective https://t.co/vBzjXuhnbz
— Viola von Cramon (@ViolavonCramon) July 28, 2021
She also stated that the biggest Georgian opposition party United National Movement (UNM) made it easier for the ruling party to annul the agreement.
True. Unfortunately, the same is true for the biggest opposition party #UNM who hasn’t even started to sign the joint April 19th agreement. They made it easy for #GeorgianDream to annul their signature. Even more true: The people of #Georgia will suffer the most of the decisions. https://t.co/MVaNjGp5mx
— Viola von Cramon (@ViolavonCramon) July 29, 2021
Former President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves said that the ruling party’s current act ‘set Euro-Atlantic integration back a long time.’
I fear this latest step set "Euro-Atlantic integration" back for a long time. The resounding message for Europe is there is no point in pursuing any kind of integration with a government that blithely tearx up agreements.
— toomas hendrik ilves (@IlvesToomas) July 29, 2021
If you're in doubt, look at the UK and EU on NI Protocol.
US diplomat Michael Carpenter also commented on the Georgian Dream’s decision and stated that ‘the EU-brokered agreement helped support the rule of law, political inclusiveness, and a level playing field.’
This is really unfortunate. The EU-brokered agreement helped support the rule of law, political inclusiveness, and a level playing field. Sad to see the ruling party walk away from it. https://t.co/nd3ekWEQsJ
— Michael Carpenter (@mikercarpenter) July 28, 2021
European Council President Charles Michel has responded to the ruling party’s decision to withdraw from the EU-mediated agreement and called on all political parties in Georgia ‘to put the interests of citizens first.’
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.
Three leading members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Marina Kaljurand, Sven Mikser and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel are ‘surprised and disappointed by the unexpected decision’ of the ruling Georgian Dream party to withdraw unilaterally from the April 19 agreement brokered by European Council President Charles Michel.
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.
MEP Viola von Cramon is now holding informal meetings in Tbilisi with Georgian opposition parties and members following the recent decision of the Georgian Dream ruling party to withdraw from the April 19 EU-mediated agreement.
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 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’.
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.
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 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.’
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan said earlier today that the EU-mediated agreement still provides a ‘very important framework for reforms’ while answering a question about the ruling party’s decision not to conduct snap parliamentary elections. Head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze announced that ‘no elections will take place until the one scheduled in 2024’ following the ruling party’s decision to annul its signatory status in late July to the April 19 agreement which resolved the political crisis caused by parliamentary elections of 2020 and proposed fundamental judicial and electoral reforms.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan stated earlier today that she hopes the EU-mediated agreement will remain in force despite the ruling Georgian Dream party’s recent withdrawal from it. Georgian Dream annulled its signatory status to the April 19 agreement which resolved the political crisis in Georgia caused by parliamentary elections of 2020 and proposed fundamental electoral and judicial reforms.
The European Georgia, Girchi - More Freedom and Movement Droa will nominate joint majoritarian candidates in Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi for the upcoming October 2 local municipal elections on August 15. Droa movement Leader Elene Khoshtaria stated that the municipal elections are ‘special elections, which is essentially a referendum,’ noting that the opposition understands its responsibility before the Georgian population to propose the choice which will ‘give them [Georgian citizens] faith.’
European Council President Charles Michel has commended all Georgian citizens who participated in local municipal elections on October 2 and called on the country to focus on ‘in-depth structural reforms.’ “Essential that the country's focus now return to in-depth structural reforms, as set out in the 19 April Agreement, notably in the rule of law and judicial spheres,” Charles Michel stated.