PACE rapporteurs express concern over 'extremely polarised' political climate in Georgia
The rapporteurs paid an official visit to Georgia on 8-10 December. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) rapporteurs Titus Corlatean (Romania, SOC) and Claude Kern (France, ALDE) have expressed their concern over the 'extremely polarised' political climate in Georgia following their visit to the country.
The rapporteurs who paid an official visit to Georgia on 8-10 December, noted that polarisation is 'undermining the political stability' and 'putting at risk' the progress Georgia has made over the years.
The rapporteurs said that the Euro-Atlantic integration of Georgia is a 'shared responsibility' of all political forces in the country.
They called on the largest parties, the ruling Georgian Dream and the opposition United National Movement to 'place the common good of the nation over any narrow party-political strategies.'
PACE monitors, ending a visit to #Tbilisi, call on all political forces in #Georgia to overcome the "extremely polarised political climate".
— PACE (@PACE_News) December 17, 2021
Read the full text of their statement:https://t.co/sNSZ31QR2k#Democracy #HumanRights #RuleofLaw pic.twitter.com/uM4V1y2NBh
The rapporteurs criticised the parliament's decision to appoint new Supreme Court judges, despite calls from the local NGOs and the international community to suspend the process before implementing fundamental judicial reforms.
For the rapporteurs this also underscores the need for further reform of the High Council of Justice, whose functioning remains an obstacle for the establishment of a genuinely independent and trusted judiciary, they added.
The rapporteurs condemned the cases of homophobia in the country and urged the authorities to fully investigate the attacks during Tbilisi Pride in July.
The rapporteurs will present their full report about Georgia in 2022.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibahsvili and Foreign Minister David Zalklaiani have met separately with co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Titus Corlatean (Romania, SOC) and Claude Kern (France, ALDE), who are visiting Georgia on December 8-10.
The Georgian parliament has appointed four judges to the country’s Supreme Court earlier today despite calls from local NGOs and the international community to suspend the process before the implementation of fundamental judicial reforms.
TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, 36, was found dead at home this morning. Lashkarava was one of the 53 media representatives who were attacked by right-wing groups during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on June 5.
A Palitranews cameraman who was attacked by right wing activists earlier today has undergone an operation at New Hospitals and is being taken to the med ward at this time. Head of the New Hospitals emergency service Mikheil Beriashvili said that the patient had a head injury and a broken nose.