PM Garibashvili pledges implementation of reforms will continue after ruling party’s withdrawal from EU-mediated agreement
Garibashvili thanked European Union President Charles Michel and stated that he did a lot ‘to calm the political situation in Georgia.’ Photo: Irakli Garibashvili/Facebook.
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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.
PM Garibashvili stated that the ruling party ‘fulfilled all the obligations unilaterally,’ noting that the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party’s involvement was ‘very important’ for the Georgian Dream.
"You have seen that an utterly irresponsible attitude was demonstrated by the UNM under the instructions of Saakashvili. Namely, currently the most prominent actor among the opposition parties is the UNM, while the total sum of electoral votes that may be collected by all others is just above 10%. Position of the UNM - being the main opposition and destructive party - was thus very important for us. They deliberately stayed away from co-signing the agreement and completely ignored it, thereby insulting the EU and USA," underlined Garibashvili.
Garibashvili thanked European Union President Charles Michel and stated that he did a lot ‘to calm the political situation in Georgia. " I wish to use this opportunity and once again publicly express our gratitude to Charles Michel, President of the European Council for being a person, who did a lot for tranquillising our political situation domestically. We thank everyone engaged in this process," said Garibashvili in his comments to Georgian media.
I want to call on everyone to calm down. We need development now, our people need the stability and development that is essential for our country,” said Garibashvili.
The ruling Georgian Dream party announced their withdrawal from the agreement on July 28, noting that it ‘completed its mission.’
Several opposition leaders already left their parliamentary mandates due to the Georgian Dream’s decision, while some opposition parties stated that they might boycott the upcoming local municipal elections.
Charles Michel responded to the ongoing political process in Georgia and underscored that the agreement remains the best way ‘to advance a reform agenda which would strengthen the democratic institutions of Georgia.’
The international community has harshly criticised the ruling party for its recent political act and called on all parties to work together for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future.
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.
“The Georgian Dream made unexpected and, in my opinion, harmful decision for Georgian interests and withdrew from the agreement”, leading member of the European Parliament Viola von Cramon-Taubadel said at a press conference yesterday, adding that the European Union will need ‘to reconsider its relations with the Georgian Government’.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has named all of the 63 (three female and 60 male) candidates in all of the municipalities for the upcoming October 2 local elections. The Georgian Dream, which has recently withdrawn from the EU-mediated agreement, says the announcement of early parliamentary elections will not in a any form depend on the results of the upcoming municipal elections.
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.
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 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.
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.’
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.