US Ambassador rejects MP allegations against US Embassy as “reckless conspiracy theories”
In her comments over the matter, the Ambassador stressed it was necessary to make sure that Georgia’s judiciary truly was “independent, impartial, autonomous, and responsive to the public”. Photo: US Embassy Tbilisi
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United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan on Wednesday said allegations of the Embassy’s interference in Georgia’s domestic institutions by several Georgian MPs were “reckless conspiracy theories” and had no basis.
Degnan was commenting on the latest statement by Popular Force, a recently launched public movement composed of former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, that claimed “disrespectful and crass attitude” towards Georgian state institutions in an Embassy document on Georgia’s judicial system reform.
I’m not sure who they represent, and I’m not sure how different they are from the ruling party that they say they left. What I can say is that the accusations that they most recently made against the United States and others are reckless conspiracy theories that have no basis. In fact, it’s very important to keep in mind that the United States works with all political parties across the political spectrum”, Degnan said.
In her comments over the matter, the Ambassador stressed it was necessary to make sure that Georgia’s judiciary truly was “independent, impartial, autonomous, and responsive to the public”.
In this case, it is baffling to me why there is a question about the kind of consultation that has been ongoing, not just with the United States, but with other legal experts, domestic and international, for decades on judicial reform. That consultative process has resulted in improvements in Georgia’s judiciary”, she continued.
Degnan claimed allegations of the US being responsible for the domestic political polarisation in Georgia were an attempt to shift the blame to those “who know they are responsible to Western partners, who have done nothing but tried to help Georgia for 30 years along its European path”.
It’s very important to keep in mind that the United States works with all political parties across the political spectrum. We meet with Georgians from across the political spectrum, and we have for over 30 years. This is how we know how we can better support Georgia in trying to help Georgia develop its democratic institutions, develop its economy, ensure that it is more secure and stable as a democracy”, she concluded in her comments.
The statement of Popular Force, released on Tuesday, said the document on the judicial reform, presented by the US Embassy to the Georgian Parliament several days ago, “further supports” a viewpoint that efforts of the Embassy are aimed at “weakening” Georgian state institutions and strengthening the “radical opposition”.
The comments criticised the document for mostly using the term “should”, and only making “recommendations” in a few places, with regards to reform initiatives to be undertaken in Georgia’s judiciary.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chairman of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, on Tuesday said the ruling Georgian Dream party could not follow the “tone and style” of the statements by the MPs who had left GD following a disagreement over the public relations strategy with the rest of the faction and were criticising actions of the United States Embassy and Ambassador Kelly Degnan.
Popular Force, a recently launched public movement composed of former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Tuesday released a statement claiming “disrespectful and crass attitude” towards Georgian state institution in a United Sates Embassy document on the country’s judicial reform.
Gia Volski, a ruling party MP and the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Friday said the United States was the “strongest and the most efficient supporter” of Georgia, but added on its part, it also did not have “as loyal a partner and friend as Georgia” in the South Caucasus region.
Popular Force, a newly launched public movement composed of the former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Thursday released a statement saying the actions of Kelly Degnan, the United states Ambassador to Georgia, “reinforce people's belief that the radical agenda of the radical [domestic] opposition is coordinated by the United States Embassy”.
Dimitri Khundadze, an independent MP and a member of the Popular Force movement, on Wednesday said it was “very sad” that the United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan “uses the talking points” of the opposition United National Movement party in her response to the movement’s criticism of the Embassy’s wording of a document on the country’s judiciary reform.
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.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, a Georgian-based election watchdog, should “distance itself” from “improperly made” demands that “are not suitable for an NGO”.
Sozar Subari, a member of Popular Force, a recently launched public movement composed of the former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Monday criticised the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, a Georgian-based election watchdog, by saying “if they want to be revolutionary and follow Lenin’s path, they should name themselves as a revolutionary party”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday rejected the statement by Bonnie Jenkins, the United States undersecretary of state, who said that the US had been “dismayed” to see recent “personal attacks” on ambassador Kelly Degnan and the embassy in Tbilisi.
The Georgian public is “entitled to know” how much aid money the United States has spent in Georgia and for what purpose, a group of former ruling Georgian Dream party lawmakers now composing the Popular Force movement said in a statement released on Monday.