US ambassador ‘respects’ professionalism of GD head, but repeats party shouldn’t reject electoral bill
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says that Georgia should have a lower election threshop to ensure the presence of several political parties in the state legislature.. Photo: parliament of Georgia press office.
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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.
Degnan said yesterday that if the GD, which says that already adopted changes on the five percent election threshold is in full accordance with international standards, rejects the bill, the move may ‘risk [establishing] the tyranny of the majority.’
Kobakhidze responded that he is an expert in constitutional law ‘and not the US ambassador,’ stating that the two percent and a lower election threshold is allowed in two EU member states alone.
Degnan says that Georgia has many professional specialists in legal issues, noting that she also has experience in this regard.
Ambassador Degnan's Remarks to Media at UN Women Meeting on Enhancing Access To Justice for Sexual Violence Victims https://t.co/KGZfOdEyMY
— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) December 2, 2021
She reiterated that the two percent election threshold will ensure multi-party parliament and will benefit the state interests.
After the adoption of the electoral bill on its first reading in September 2021, according to the EU-mediated agreement signed by the ruling and opposition parties the same year, the GD said that they had ‘no obligation’ to support the amendments because the party withdrew from the agreement in July of this year.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell also says that the adoption of the bill will serve Georgia’s interests.
He stated earlier today that in September 126 MPs voted for the bill on its first reading ‘which was an unique case Georgian political parties reached consensus. It is important for consensus to be maintained.'
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.’
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.
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.
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.
Head of Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, Anri Okhanashvili, says he is eager to listen to a ‘concrete argument’ from the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Erika Olson on why she is unhappy with the Georgian government’s efforts to reform the country’s electoral and judiciary systems.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Erika Olson says that the Georgian Dream government ‘has committed to judicial and electoral reforms’ and that Washington ‘really wants to see it follow through on those commitments.’