Ruling Party Secretary: part of opposition has “boycotted” implementation of EU conditions for membership candidate status
Mdinaradze also claimed UNM had allocated “a million and a half dollars” for lobbyists in EU structures to ensure the country did not receive the membership candidate status under the Georgian Dream Government. Photo: Georgian Dream Press Office
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Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said a part of the domestic opposition had “boycotted Europe” and the implementation of the conditions outlined by the European Union for granting the country the membership candidate status later this year.
The sabotage of Europe, the sabotage of the recommendations of the European Commission will remain engraved in history, and this fact will not go anywhere”, the GD official said in an interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster.
Mdinaradze said it was “in the interests” of the Government to ensure it was granted the EU candidate status, as it would “strengthen the positions” of the ruling team, while claiming the outcome was not in the interests of the opposition United National Movement party.
No one in this country believes that they [UNM] will ever try to put subjectivism aside. Subjectively, receiving the candidate status is not in their interests because their already weakened and practically destroyed political force will be further destroyed. That is why they fight [against Georgia receiving the candidate status] in every way”, he continued.
Mdinaradze also claimed UNM had allocated “a million and a half dollars” for lobbyists in EU structures to ensure the country did not receive the membership candidate status under the Georgian Dream Government.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chairman of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament, on Thursday called on the domestic opposition, non-governmental organisations and experts to get involved in the work process on fulfilling the 12-point conditions established by the EU.
Davit Matikashvili, an MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said a “meticulous” implementation of the 12-point conditions established by the European Union would lead to Georgia receiving the EU membership candidate status, which he said was “not in the plans” of the opposition United National Movement party.
Representatives of Georgian Parliamentary opposition groups on Thursday met Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili to discuss the Government’s plan for implementing the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status.
Khatuna Samnidze, an opposition MP and the Chair of the Republican Party, on Thursday said the implementation of the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status should “go beyond party interests”.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chairman of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, on Thursday called on the domestic opposition, non-governmental organisations and experts to get involved in the work process on fulfilling the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status.
The Parliamentary working group created to review judicial reforms for fulfilling conditions outlined by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status will hold its first meeting on Monday, the Parliament’s press office said.
Levan Ioseliani, a member of the Citizens opposition party and Vice Speaker of the Parliament, on Monday said domestic political forces not engaging in the agenda set by the European Union for Georgia for granting the country the membership candidate status would be “counterproductive”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday highlighted the Global Peace Index showed the country ranked second in the world with the ten-year progress in peacefulness, and credited this achievement with the “correct policy” of the former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and the ruling Georgian Dream team.
Nacho Sánchez Amor, a Member of the European Parliament, on Tuesday said the decision of the European Council to grant Georgia a status different from what Moldova and Ukraine had received was a “political mistake” and “obviously” created more polarisation in the country’s domestic political environment.
Tamar Taliashvili, an MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the domestic “radical opposition” had “no interest” in being a constructive player in taking part in the fulfilment of the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting the country the membership candidate status later this year.
German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch on Wednesday said the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status later this year were a “big challenge” for the Georgian political spectrum and noted the domestic political parties must find the “strength to cooperate” with each other.
The Georgian Parliament is reviewing implementation of standards of the European Court of Human Rights in Georgian courts, a question connected to one of the clauses outlined by the European Council for granting the country the European Union membership candidate status later this year.
Nacho Sánchez Amor, a Member of the European Parliament, on Wednesday said he supported granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status immediately, claiming putting Georgia in a “different situation” from Moldova and Ukraine had been a “wrong decision” that had increased polarisation in the country’s domestic political environment.
Giorgi Vashadze, the leader of the Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition party, on Wednesday welcomed the ending of the diplomatic mission of Hubert Knirsch, the German Ambassador to Georgia, while saying he hoped working with the next head of the Embassy would be “much more interesting” for the party.
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said the policy of the opposition United National Movement party was to “somehow harm” the country, highlighting the party’s refusal to participate in fulfilling the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status later this year.
The Lelo opposition party will participate in all bills in the Georgian Parliament related to the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status later this year, but only in an “institutional format”, Badri Japaridze, leader of the party said on Tuesday.
The United National Movement party, the largest opposition group in the state legislature, may join the parliamentary format proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party for addressing the 12-point conditions set by the European Commission in June for Georgia to obtain European Union membership candidate status by the end of this year, UNM MP Levan Bezhashvili said on Thursday.
The involvement of non-governmental organisations is “extensive”, as at least two NGOs - about 200 NGOs in whole - are represented in every Parliamentary working group, created to review judicial reforms for fulfilling the conditions outlined by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili told reporters on Sunday.
Popular Force, a newly launched public movement composed of the former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Monday released a statement saying by standing up for the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, a Georgian-based election watchdog, the United States Embassy was backing a return to power of the opposition United National Movement party through “revolution” and opening of a “second front” of the ongoing Ukraine war in Georgia.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday, announced that the party would not be presenting a candidate for the position of Public Defender, and the nomination of a candidate would be “completely entrusted” to the opposition and civil sector.