Ruling party ‘reminds’ opposition that constitutional changes are result of its ‘goodwill’
The ruling Georgian Dream party head Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that the party remains committed to the April 19 EU-mediated agreement although the GD withdrew from the agreement in July. Photo: Irakli Kobakhidze’s Facebook page.
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Head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, MP Irakli Kobakhidze has reminded the parliamentary opposition that constitutional amendments related to electoral and other issues are a result of the party’s goodwill as the GD has withdrawn from the EU-mediated agreement.
The agreement signed by the ruling party and the majority of opposition parties on April 19, 2021 obliged the signatories to carry out large-scale electoral and judiciary reforms.
The first autumn session in parliament earlier today opened with discussions around the constitutional amendments which require the support of at least 113 MPs in the 150-member parliament to be approved.
According to the bill the next two parliamentary elections must be held with a two per cent election threshold and per a fully proportional electoral system.
The number of parliamentary faction members must not be less than four in the current and in the next two convocations of the state legislature.
Kobakhidze reiterated that no early elections will take place in the country. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Per the bill the next two convocations of parliament must elect the country’s chief prosecutor by the support of three-fifths of MPs. If the parliament fails to elect the prosecutor general twice in this way, then the parliamentary majority (at least 76 MPs) will elect him. However, the prosecutor general elected by the parliamentary majority will be elected for one year instead of six.
I want to remind the opposition that no political agreement exists. The April 19 agreement has been annulled and the constitutional changes are being carried out by our political goodwill. This is what you must remember during all readings of the changes,” Kobakhidze said.
He reiterated that the GD withdrew from the EU-mediated agreement (back in July). However, it remains committed to the agreement.
Kobakhidze and the opposition parties have stated earlier that there may be controversies on the stipulation on the election of prosecutor general.
Kobakhidze said that the stipulation in the EU-mediated agreement was ‘legally incorrect.’ However, the GD signed the agreement anyway, considering the political situation in the country at that time.
He stated that the prosecutor general should be elected by the majority ‘like in many European countries.’
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has welcomed the largest opposition United National Movement (UNM) party’s decision to sign the EU-mediated agreement and stated that ‘it is a good sign for strengthening Georgia’s path forward.’
The United National Movement (UNM) and the European Georgia opposition party leaders say that the Georgian government has refused to take the second part of the EU’s €75 million euro loan because the EU was likely to impose sanctions against Georgia for the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party’s withdrawal from the April 2021 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 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.
The United States Embassy and the European Union delegation to Georgia have denounced the parliament’s failure to approve constitutional amendments aimed to ensure ‘broad, multi-party support for an impartial prosecutor general’.
Head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Irakli Kobakhidze has responded to the criticism of the EU and US embassies on the removal of a stipulation from constitutional amendments on the election rule of Georgia's prosecutor general. Kobakhidze stated that the stipulation was ‘legal nonsense,’ noting that the US and EU ambassadors ‘are likely not to have had’ proper and correct consultations around the issue.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has launched a new weekly English-language podcast on Youtube oriented on the audience outside Georgia.
Head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, Irakli Kobakhidze, says that the party ‘has no obligation’ to support the constitutional amendments which offer a lower election threshold for the next two parliamentary elections.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says that it may accept a two per cent election threshold for the next two parliamentary elections, noting that ‘it will be [a sign of] the goodwill of the GD and will be dependent on how the opposition will act.’
Eighteen Georgian NGOs say in a joint statement that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party ‘must keep its promise’ on a lower election threshold for the next two parliamentary elections and a fully proportional electoral system, and ‘must support’ the constitutional changes which were proposed in the April 2021 EU-mediated agreement.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says that if the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party rejects an electoral bill which would establish a two percent election threshold for the next two parliamentary elections, the move may ‘risk [establishing] the tyranny of the majority.’
Georgian Parliament Vice Speaker Archil Talakvadze has responded to US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan’s statement regarding an electoral bill and stated that ‘if there was tyranny and autocratic rule’ in the country, it was under former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili’s government.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says that she respects the experience and professionalism of the head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Irakli Kobakhidze in the constitutional law, but says that the party ‘should keep its promise’ and support the electoral bill which offers a two percent election threshold in the next two parliamentary elections.