Ex-foreign diplomats: Georgian gov’t must take 1st step by releasing opposition leader Melia
Opposition leader Nika Melia has refused to pay 40,000 GEL of his 70,000 GEL bail. Photo: UNM press office.
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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 government, as the presiding power, must take the first step by freeing the opposition leader. This will facilitate efforts by the European Union to mediate a compromise, efforts we strongly support. Recent events make the situation all the more urgent. Failure to take positive steps could result in calls for consequences for those responsible for the ongoing crisis. Time is of the essence! “ the letter says.
Five of eight Georgian opposition parties which have won seats in the 10th convocation of the Georgian parliament have been demanding repeat elections since the October 31, 2020 race.
They have accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of falsifying the elections, refused to take up their mandates and took to the street in November 2020.
Foreign ambassadors have facilitated four rounds of talks since then between the ruling party and the opposition to help the parties end the tension. However, the talks ended without the result.
Opposition parties have held a rally at parliament, demanding Melia's release.' Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Opposition rallies resumed at the end of the last month, amid the coronavirus pandemic, after the arrest of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party head Nika Melia on February 23 for his refusal to pay bail.
Melia is charged with incitement to violence during the June protests in Tbilisi back in 2019.
Opposition parties are now demanding the release of Melia and the co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua and the repeat elections.
The dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition resumed during the recent visit of the European Council President Charles Michel to Georgia on March 1.
Michel has mandated Christian Danielsson to lead a EU-backed mediation effort in Georgia.
Danielsson will come to Georgia in the coming days.
US Ambassador Kelly Degnan, who was facilitating the election talks between the parties along with the EU ambassador, met with Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili earlier today.
Discussed a wide range of topics US Amb Kelly C. Degnan including the ???????????????? bilateral cooperation agenda, ongoing political processes, COVID-19 pandemic & the difficult situation in the occupied territories. We highly appreciate the support of ???????? our top strategic partner. pic.twitter.com/pR3KjZEQv1
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) March 9, 2021
She stated that the US is interested in the quick resolution of the tension for Georgia to focus on ‘other, serious challenges.’
Degnan said that the US will continue to support Georgia, its economy and security.
Garibashvili and the Georgian Dream stated earlier that Melia violated the law and that everyone is equal before the law.
The ruling party says that repeat elections will not take place because the elections ‘were held in the full line with democratic standards and that the international community has recognised the results of the elections.’
They repeated that if the opposition presents evidence that even one per cent of votes were fabricated, the ruling party will accept the conduct of repeat elections.