Opposition requests mediation from EU to come to an agreement with ruling party
Georgian opposition parties have been demanding repeat elections since November 2020.Photo:Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Georgian opposition parties have requested mediation instead of facilitation from the EU to come to an agreement with the ruling Georgian party amid the current political tension.
They requested this during today’s meeting with the president of the European Council Charles Michel in Tbilisi.
Five of eight opposition parties (51 of 60 opposition MPs) have been demanding repeat parliamentary elections since the October 31, 2020 elections.
The recent arrest of the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia has further complicated the tension and the opposition parties took to the street again last week.
The parties are demanding the release of Melia and the co-founder of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV channel Giorgi Rurua and repeat parliamentary elections.
Foreign ambassadors, including the EU ambassador, have facilitated four rounds of talks between the ruling party and opposition to help them end the political tension. However, the talks ended without the result.
Opposition may accept referendum instead of repeat elections. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Now the opposition leaders say that the mediation by the EU is likely to help parties end the crisis.
In the case of mediation the mediators will be able to offer the ways out of the crisis, while the facilitators are unable to do so,” said the head of Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition party Giorgi Vashadze.
He also said that Michel encouraged the opposition to make a compromise.
As for the compromise we said that the opposition may accept the referendum instead of repeat elections,” Vashadze said.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that the elections were conducted in the ‘full line with democratic standards’ and ‘no repeat elections’ will take place.
Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili says that Melia, who was arrested for his refusal to pay bail, and Rurua have committed crimes and that ‘everyone is equal before the law.’
After today’s meeting with Michel Garibashvili repeated that the ruling party is ready for the dialogue with the opposition to ‘normalise the political process as soon as possible.’
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with the President of the European Council Charles Michel in Tbilisi earlier today. Garibashvili has stated that Michel’s visit ‘is a clear reiteration that our region has a strategic importance for the EU.’ He also said that the visit ‘demonstrates the strong support and partnership of the EU.’
President of the European Council Charles Michel has met with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili in Tbilisi earlier today and stated that his visit demonstrates the EU’s commitment to countries in the region, including Georgia. Michel is scheduled to meet with Georgian, Ukrainian and Moldovan leaders during his regional trip.
Georgian Foriegn Minister David Zalkaliani has stated that the upcoming visit of the European Council President Charles Michel later today is a ‘clear confirmation’ that the EU stands with Georgia as its ‘most important partner’ in the region.
President of the European Council Charles Michel will visit Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine next week.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and opposition politicians have gathered at the presidential palace in Tbilisi at a meeting mediated by European Council President Charles Michel. Michel said following the meeting that the parties had an opportunity to listen to each other. However, he said, ‘we understand that there are many difficult topics that need to be tackled’.
Seven individuals have been detained at the opposition’s anti-government rally at the Georgian parliament in central Tbilisi earlier today after they disobeyed police.The opposition parties which have been demanding repeat parliamentary elections since November 2020 took to the street again last week, following the arrest of the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has stated that the opposition parties have continued ‘destructive actions and tried to block the functioning of the state legislature’ shortly after the meeting with the European Council president Charles Michel yesterday.
Opposition parties have temporarily postponed joint protests until completion of negotiations with the government, which was initiated by the President of the European Council Charles Michel.
Twenty-three former diplomats, ambassadors and representatives of various international organisations have released an open letter in which they said that the Georgian Dream government ‘must take the first step’ to solve the current tension in the country and this step should be the release of the new head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia.
The Venice Commission and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (ODIHR) advise "more holistic approach" and less frequent changes to Georgian election code in their urgent opinion document released on Friday.