US Senators Risch, Shaheen hope Georgian political crisis comes to an end quickly, peacefully
US Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen released a joint statement yesterday. Photo courtesy
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US Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen are ‘deeply concerned’ by recent political developments in Georgia.
Risch and Shaheen said in a joint statement yesterday that ‘people of Georgia deserve to have rule of law, democracy and an honest and independent judiciary’.
Over the past several years, we have raised the problem of political prosecutions with Georgian officials many times. While we are glad to see that opposition leader Nika Melia’s detention has been cancelled, such political prosecutions and arrests should never take place”, the US Senators said.
Hoping ‘this political crisis will come to an end quickly and peacefully’, they said that ‘all sides of the political spectrum must now return to the negotiating table and de-escalate the political atmosphere’.
The Georgian service of the Voice of America has meanwhile reported that US Congressmen Michael McCaul and Gregory Meeks also call on political parties for dialogue and peaceful resolution of the opposition leader Melia's case.
The Georgian Dream has meanwhile tweeted:
Despite Georgia’s international strategic partners’ calls for defusing political tensions and de-escalating the situation, radical opposition forces choose to incite street violence against the police to once again undermine the political process and deepen the polarization.
— Georgian Dream (@GeorgianDream41) February 19, 2021
Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced his resignation on February 18 following the court ruling against the United National Movement chair Melia.
Gakharia then said that if ‘the enforcement of justice threatens the life and health of citizens or creates the possibility for destabilisation in the country, [it] is unacceptable.’
The ruling party-dominated parliament suspended the MP status of Melia on February 16, allowing the prosecution to demand his arrest as the latter had not posted bail for his release in a case that dates back to the June 2019 protests.
Meanwhile, the new candidate for the Georgian premiership Irakli Garibashvili named his cabinet members yesterday. The parliament is scheduled to approve the new PM and his cabinet on February 22.
The candidate for the Georgian premiership Irakli Garibashvili has named his cabinet members earlier today which includes two new faces - candidates for the minister of infrastructure and defence. Maia Tskitishvili, who has served the country’s regional development and infrastructure minister since 2018 has resigned and her deputy, Irakli Karseladze, has been nominated as her replacement.
The US Department of State has responded to current political turmoil in Georgia in regards to the possible arrest of opposition leader Nika Melia and the recent resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and called on political parties in the country ‘to show restraint and avoid escalatory actions or rhetoric.’ The US Embassy in Georgia has stated that they appreciate the restraint shown by the authorities and the opposition in responding to the events surrounding the Melia case.
The European Union urges the Georgian authorities and opposition ‘to act with utmost restraint and responsibility to avoid further escalation’ following a court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for United National Movement chair Nika Melia and the ‘subsequent resignation’ of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced his resignation earlier today, saying that the step is connected with the upcoming arrest of the opposition MP, the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia. Gakharia has stated that Melia violated the law and has been engaged in sparking tension in the country.
The Chair of Lithuanian Committee on Foreign Affairs Žygimantas Pavilionis held meetings with the ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition United National Movement amid the current political crisis in the country earlier today.
Jeanne Shaheen, a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is ‘surprised and disappointed’ that all parties in Georgia ‘have allowed the current crisis to last so long’.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has stated earlier today that support from the European Union and the United States is of critical importance for Georgia to overcome its current political crisis.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has stated that the country’s opposition has two choices: ‘either listen to the EU and the US partners and take up their mandates in the state legislature, or continue their marginal actions.’
US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Rob Portman, who arrived in Georgia late yesterday, visited the occupation line near the village of Zemo Nikozi earlier today which separates the country’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region from the rest of Georgia. The European Union Monitoring Mission accompanied the senators at the scene and briefed them about the situation on the ground.