Opposition MP boycotts parliament following ruling party’s exit from EU-mediated agreement
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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.
I will not support the double standards of the Georgian Dream by entering the sessions of the parliament and asking critical questions,” Kordzaia stated today.
Kordzaia also noted that the ruling party ‘should be defeated via elections’ and ‘be forced to call early elections,’ Kordzaia said.
She said that everyone who signed the document should be offended.
Libertarian opposition leader of Girchi - More Freedom Zurab Japaridze and the head of the United National Movement (UNM) Nika Melia left parliament and gave up their parliamentary mandates.
The ruling party announced yesterday that they are leaving the April 19 agreement initiated by the European Council President Charles Michel, because it ‘completed its mission.’
Charles Michel responded to the current political events in Georgia earlier today and stated that the interests of Georgian citizens should be a priority.
The international community has harshly criticised the Georgian ruling party and called on all political parties to work together for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration.
NGOs have assessed the Georgian Dream’s withdrawal from the agreement as a rejection of the countries’ Euro-Atlantic course.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MPs say that the party has no plans to rejoin the EU-mediated agreement it left on July 28. Georgian Dream MP Archil Talakvadze said earlier today that ‘the ruling party was the only party which was fulfilling the agreement’ which had resolved a six-month political crisis following disputed parliamentary elections at the end of 2020 and proposed large-scale reforms.
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.
Congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Gerry Connolly, co-chairs of the House Georgia Caucus, urge all parties 'to take a step back, reassess their priorities, and work together to strengthen Georgia’s democracy – not tear it down'. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom also urges all political parties to work together to achieve political stability and reach consensus for the benefit of all the Georgian people.
The head of opposition United National Movement (UNM) party Nika Melia, who has been nominated for Tbilisi mayor by several opposition parties, has stated he is giving up his parliamentary mandate to prepare for the October 2 municipal elections.
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.
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 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.’
Head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that ‘no elections will take place until the one scheduled in 2024.’
The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) says that if the Georgian parliament approves ‘simplified procedures’ for the election of the head of the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) and its members it will be ‘another deviation’ from the April 2021 EU-mediated agreement.