US Ambassador Degnan hopes EU-mediated agreement will remain in force despite ruling party’s withdrawal
She underscored that every official statement shows how disappointed the partners of Georgia are by the ruling party’s decision. Photo: US Embassy in Georgia/Facebook.
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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.
Ambassador Degnan noted that the idea and value of the agreement was the political parties’ pledge to implement the reforms, noting that Georgia needs ‘multiparty reforms that all of the leaders elected by Georgia’s voters can pursue and advance,’ said Degnan.
It is our hope that the agreement can continue to provide a kind of a structure, a framework for the parties to work together. Unilateral reforms are not what Georgia needs,” said US Ambassador Degnan.
She also stated that it is early to talk about sanctions ‘until there is a lack of good faith to fulfil the commitments that were made by the signatories to this agreement.'
US Ambassador Degnan once again called on both non-signatory parties to join the agreement and signatory parties to fulfil it.
She underscored that every official statement shows how disappointed the partners of Georgia are by the ruling party’s decision.
Ambassador Degnan also discussed the upcoming local elections in Georgia and noted that significant electoral reforms have been implemented as a result of the agreement.
They [reforms] provide the opportunity for these elections in October to be an improvement over previous elections. They must do the required training,” said Ambassador Degnan.
The international community as well as US Embassy to Georgia has harshly criticised the Georgian government for the withdrawal from the EU-mediated agreement and called on all political parties to work together for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration.
Several opposition political parties claimed that they might boycott the upcoming local municipal elections due to the ruling party’s recent decision to annul the agreement.
Libertarian opposition leader Zurab Japaridze and head of opposition United National Movement (UNM) party Nika Melia left Georgian parliament.
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.
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.
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.
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.’
An American Cultural Center (ACC) has opened in Tbilisi earlier today. US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan attended the opening ceremony at which she stated that ‘this is a fantastic new initiative’ for a strong partnership between the two countries. The ACC will focus on the arts, culture and education-related projects and will ‘promote cultural links between the US and Georgia.’
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.