EU mediator in talks between Georgian political parties to travel back to Tbilisi
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The EU mediator in the talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition on the issues of repeat parliamentary elections and the release of opposition figures Christian Danielsson will travel back to Georgia by the end of the week to help the parties to come to an agreement on ‘two most challenging issues.’
Danielsson, who was sent to Georgia by European Council President Charles Michel on March 12, had spent a week in Georgia, more than scheduled, to help the parties come to an agreement.
However, earlier on March 19 he left the country after mediation had ended without result.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has tweeted:
Thank you Mr. President. This is a strong sign that the EU is not going anywhere. As we wait for @DanielssonEU’s return, I call, once again, on all sides to put country first and work toward depolarization, compromise and unity. https://t.co/hWH2IYqWZb
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) March 22, 2021
A press release issued after the mediation effort reads that the parties came to the agreement on three of five issues which included the election reform, justice reform and the distribution of power in the state legislature.
According to a press release the parties could not come to an agreement on the ‘issues of elections and politicized justice.’
Danielsson met with Michel yesterday to inform him concerning the mediation process and Michel tweeted shortly that the mediator will travel back to the country.
Took stock of the progress already achieved in Georgia mediation with @DanielssonEU
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) March 22, 2021
Time to make the necessary compromises in the interest of the citizens of Georgia ????????
Envoy will travel back to continue mediation.
The Georgian opposition parties which have won seats in the 10th convocation of the Georgian parliament say that the last year parliamentary elections were fabricated and have been demanding repeat elections since November 2020.
The arrest of the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia for his refusal to pay bail on February 23, 2021 further complicated the political tension.
The top demands of the opposition include the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections, the release of Melia and the co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua who was convicted last year for the illegal possession and carrying of firearms.
The ruling party and the EU say that the Georgian elections were ‘free and competitive.’
As for the release of Melia and Rurua the Georgian Dream says that the issues are ‘up to the court and not to the government.’
Georgian opposition politicians, who plan to travel to the regions to meet with the public, have announced they will gather in front of the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi on May 15.
EU-mediated talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition on the issues of repeat parliamentary elections and the release of two opposition representatives have ended without a result and mediator Christian Danielsson has left for Brussels earlier today. Danielsson, who was sent to Georgia by European Council President Charles Michel on March 12, had spent a week in Georgia, more than scheduled, to help the parties come to an agreement.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a joint press conference with Georgian Prime MInister Irakli Garibashvili in Brussels today that ‘the recent political developments in Georgia are worrying’. Expressing NATO’s support for the mediation efforts of the European Union Jens Stoltenberg encouraged PM Garibashvili ‘to work with the opposition to find common ground and common solutions’.
EU officials and the document released after the recent, 6th EU-Georgia Association Council meeting in Brussels say that the October 31, 2020 Georgian parliamentary elections, as well as the second round of the elections in November 2020, were ‘competitive.’
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.’
The EU-mediation talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition on the issues of repeat parliamentary elections and the release of opposition figures are likely to resume on Monday, IPN has cited the EU delegation to Georgia as saying. IPN has reported that the EU mediator in the talks Christian Danielsson will arrive in Georgia either on March 28 or 29.