EU mediator Danielsson on ruling party, opposition talks: time for compromise
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EU mediator Christian Danielsson, who arrived in Georgia late last night, calls on the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition to agree on a compromise.
Danielsson said upon arrival that he is looking forward to engaging with the leaders of the political parties in supporting them to reach an agreement to end the political crisis in this country.
Now it is the time for compromise and compromise is not a sign of weakness, compromise is a sign of strength, compromise shows that democracy in Georgia works, compromise is the European way,” he said.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell who has also been involved in the talks said earlier that the first round of mediation ‘was disappointing’ in the sense that no agreement was reached.
However, he believes that with the 'sincere willingness' from all the parties, they will manage 'to move towards a landing zone acceptable to everyone'.
Christian Danielsson has held separate and joint meetings with the Georgian ruling party and opposition during his first visit earlier this month. Photo: EU Delegation to Georgia
European Council President Charles Michel announced on March 22 that his special envoy would travel back to Georgia to help the parties come to an agreement.
Charles Michel has tweeted:
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.
Danielsson first arrived in Tbilisi on March 12 to lead the EU-backed mediation effort. However, after the ruling party and the opposition failed to reach an agreement, he left the country.
Nevertheless, both - the ruling party and opposition - have expressed their readiness to reach an agreement during the upcoming round of EU-mediated negotiations which kicks off tomorrow.
A couple of days before the EU-mediated talks between the Georgian ruling party and opposition, both sides express their readiness to reach the final agreement to end the current political crisis in Georgia.
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.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has stated earlier today that the ruling Georgian Dream party is not considering holding repeat parliamentary elections or the release of opposition United National Movement chair Nika Melia during the upcoming EU-mediated negotiations.
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 Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has stated that the ruling Georgian Dream party is ready for a ‘constructive dialogue’ with the opposition to solve the current political tension ‘as soon as possible.’ Garibashvili made the statement earlier today after his meeting with EU mediator Christian Danielsson who returned back to Tbilisi on March 27 after the failure of his previous mediation efforts earlier this month.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that the chance is about fifty-fifty of reaching an agreement with the parliamentary opposition on election-related issues and the release of imprisoned opposition figures amid the current political tension. The statement came after today’s meeting with the EU mediator in talks between the ruling party and the opposition Christian Danielsson who returned to Tbilisi on March 27 after previous mediation efforts failed earlier this month.
The ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition have failed to come to an agreement in EU-mediated talks for the second time. The document offered by EU mediator Christian Danielsson yesterday which concerned ‘ambitious electoral and judicial reform’ and offered amnesty for suspects and convicts of the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi was not signed by any of the parties.
Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE Ann Linde has tweeted earlier today that she ‘regrets’ that political parties in Georgia have not reached an agreement to end the ‘current impasse'. "A solution is needed to strengthen Georgia’s democracy, development and European integration", she wrote on Twitter.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent has reacted to the failed EU-mediated talks between Georgian political parties and has told the Voice of America Georgian bureau that the Georgian government ‘is risking the goodwill’ of the US Senate ‘which has been too generous to Georgia over years’ in providing the financial aid.
Three MPs of the Girchi party have signed, while Lelo has stated they will also sign the new proposal by the EU to solve the political tension in Georgia which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
The agreement released by the European Council President Charles Michel on the weekend offers a pardon for all violations and convictions stemming from the 19-21 June 2019 protests in Tbilisi and says that if the ruling party fails to receive at least 43 per cent of votes in this year’s municipal elections, they should accept the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections.