Parliament Vice Speaker: “radical” opposition won’t be allowed to “undermine” Georgian judiciary, European prospects
The vote was called by the opposition in the wake of the United States Department of State’s sanctioning of four former and current Georgian judges under the visa restrictions authority earlier this month for alleged corruption. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said the “radical” part of the domestic opposition would “not be allowed” to “undermine” the country’s judiciary and European prospects, in comments after the ruling Georgian Dream party refused to register for the opposition-initiated vote on forming a Parliamentary inquiry on the domestic judiciary.
The vote was called by the opposition in the wake of the United States Department of State’s sanctioning of four former and current Georgian judges under the visa restrictions authority earlier this month for alleged corruption.
Talakvadze said the opposition United National Movement party’s initiative to create a temporary Parliamentary investigative commission into the domestic courts on the back of the sanctions did not “serve the idea of an independent and free judiciary”.
This [initiative] serves the following tasks. The first is to block the process of implementation of European recommendations and delay it, so that Georgia once again fails to receive the European Union membership candidate status”, he said in reference to last year’s decision of the European Council on only granting the country the European perspective.
“The second is to attack and put pressure on the judiciary, to somehow interfere with its independence and gain some level of control. The third is to take revenge on the judges and court that tried their political leaders for the most serious crimes”, the Vice Speaker said in reference to court cases that judged former UNM officials in cases dating back to their time in office.
Today it appeared once again that they had chosen a topic with which they could harm the process of implementation of the European recommendations. It is a political joke in itself [to claim] that UNM, by any form, is fighting for the independence and freedom of the judiciary”, he concluded.
The State Department’s decision on sanctions alleged Irakli Shengelia, Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze and Valerian Tsertsvadze had “abused their positions as court chairmen and members of Georgia’s High Council of Justice, undermining the rule of law and the public’s faith in Georgia’s judicial system”.
The decision has been met by criticism from Georgian Government officials, while the domestic opposition has claimed it highlights the alleged corruption in the domestic judiciary.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the question of the opposition United National Movement party forming a Parliamentary investigative commission into the domestic judiciary following the United States Government’s sanctioning of Georgian judges could not be discussed “in any case”.
Salome Samadashvili, an MP for the opposition Lelo party, on Monday criticised Levan Khaberishvili and Ana Tsitlidze, two leaders of the opposition United National Movement party, for their departure for a visit to Poland ahead of a vote on the creation of an investigative commission in the Georgian Parliament following the United States Government’s sanctioning of Georgian judges last week.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday vowed his support to Georgian judges following the sanctioning of four current and former professionals by the United States Department of State for alleged corruption.
Thea Tsulukiani, the Georgian Vice Prime Minister, on Monday said her Government was “demanding evidence” behind the United States Department of State’s decision to impose visa restrictions on four Georgian judges for alleged corruption.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday called the proposal by the domestic opposition for the formation of a Parliamentary inquiry into alleged cases of corruption and other violations in the country’s judiciary a “harmful initiative”.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Human Rights Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said members of the party were standing in solidarity with the domestic judiciary system and not individual judges, in a response to comments by the United States Ambassador Kelly Degnan.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday said “if Georgia does not receive the European Union membership candidate status, the “radical” domestic opposition will use it to stir up unrest in the country”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday claimed the domestic “radical” opposition in the country was “gradually weakening".