Opposition MP: boycotting ruling party’s working format for EU candidacy contradicts “direct request” of European partners for cooperation
Ioseliani criticised the decision of the United National Movement, Lelo and the Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition parties last week to boycott the ruling party- proposed working group by saying that the parallel process was “confusing” and “tailored” to the agenda of specific political parties. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Levan Ioseliani, a member of the Citizens opposition party and the Vice Speaker of the Parliament, on Monday said alternative working formats proposed by three Parliamentary opposition parties for work on Georgia’s European Union membership candidate status contradicted a “direct request” of the European partners that domestic stakeholders should be involved together in the working process over the matter.
Ioseliani criticised the decision of the United National Movement, Lelo and the Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition parties last week to boycott the ruling party-proposed working group by saying that the parallel process was “confusing” and “tailored” to the agenda of specific political parties.
The parallel process not only contradicts the idea of the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Commission, but also contradicts a direct request of the European friends that everyone should get involved together in the working process”, the Parliament official said.
In the end, this will not be in line with the interests of the country, because it is a partisan interest. I think everyone should give up the partisan separatism and start working in the working groups [...] created in the parliament”, he concluded in his comments.
MEP Viola von Cramon on Friday said she disapproved of the plans of a part of the Georgian opposition to create parallel groups and boycott a working format proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party for the country to fulfil the European Union's 12-point conditions and obtain the membership candidate status.
An alternative working format proposed by three Parliamentary opposition parties for work on Georgia’s European Union membership candidate status “will not benefit” the country’s European prospects, and the opposition should work together with the ruling party for the objective, Nika Simonishvili, the head of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association non-governmental organisation, said on Monday.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday criticised the move of three Parliamentary opposition parties to boycott a working group initiated by GD for joint work for the country’s European Union membership candidate status and instead launch a separate format last week.
MEP Viola von Cramon on Friday said she disapproved of the plans of a part of the Georgian opposition to create parallel groups and boycott a working format proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party for the country to fulfil the European Union's 12-point conditions and obtain the membership candidate status in December.
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”.
Gia Volski, a ruling party MP and the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said the domestic “radical opposition” had “already openly declared” that causing a destabilisation in the country remained its “strategic plan”.
Two opposition MPs in the Georgian Parliament, Vakhtang Megrelishvili and Levan Ioseliani, on Tuesday condemned the move by three opposition parties and several MPs to boycott a working group recently proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party and instead create a parallel format last week to work on Georgia’s European Union membership candidate status.
Anri Okhanashvili, the chair of the Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the ruling team would continue to “actively work” on the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union for granting the country the membership candidate status, and stressed that “the involvement of all political parties and stakeholders will be ensured in this process”.