EU Council president praises all Georgians participating in local elections, calls for reforms
Various foreign ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic corps call on all political parties in Georgia to join the April 19 agreement and to cooperate in the implementation of the reforms. Photo: Charles Michel/Twitter/Archive.
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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.
I commend all Georgians who made their voices heard in the first round of the local elections.
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) October 4, 2021
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.
The April 19 EU-mediated agreement proposed by Charles Michel back in April resolved the political crisis in Georgia caused by the 2020 parliamentary elections and put forward large scale electoral and judiciary reforms.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party along with the majority of opposition parties signed the agreement back on April 19, although, the largest opposition United National Movement (UNM) party refused to join it due to a stipulation that offered amnesty to individuals convicted for violence during the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi sparked by the presence of Russian legislators in the Georgian parliament.
The GD in late July decided to withdraw from the agreement due to the UNM’s refusal to sign the document.
However, the UNM eventually signed it after four months of refusing to do so in early September.
Various foreign ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic corps call on all political parties in Georgia to join the April 19 agreement and to cooperate in the implementation of the reforms.
US Senator Jim Risch and Congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Gerry Connolly have welcomed the decision of Georgia's largest opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), to sign the April 2021 EU-mediated agreement after several months of refusing to do so. However, Risch was cited by Voice of America as saying that the UNM’s decision is ‘at least belated’ and that the party’s more than four-month hesitation encouraged the ruling Georgia Dream (GD) to withdraw from the agreement in July of this year.
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), the largest opposition party in Georgia, has decided to join the April 2021 EU-mediated agreement after more than four months of refusing to do so.The UNM’s decision comes on the heels of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party’s withdrawal from the agreement at the end of July ‘because the main opposition, the UNM, refused to join the agreement,while other opposition parties were constantly violating it.’
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 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 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.