This is unjust - Georgian Foreign Minister reacts to PACE resolution

The resolution adopted by the PACE on the situation in Georgia is a continuation of unfair treatment of the country, Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili said.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Thursday, April 10, by 89 votes to three and with five abstentions adopted a resolution titled “The Situation in Georgia and Follow-up on the Resolution ‘On the Substantial Challenge to the So Far Unratified Powers of the Georgian Parliamentary Delegation’” in which it condemned the refusal of the Georgian delegation to participate in the work of the PACE and noted the deteriorating situation in Georgia.

“This resolution is also a kind of repetition of the resolution that was adopted in January and is actually a continuation of that process, which is related precisely to unfair approaches to Georgia,” Bochorishvili said.

The Minister noted that this was the reason why the Georgian delegation refused to continue working in PACE and Georgia will return to work only on its own terms.

“When it comes to the return of the Georgian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, it is important to see fair approaches and not the double standards that have been recently applied to Georgia within the framework of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,” Bochorishvili said.

On January 29, the PACE voted to recognize the Georgian delegation's credentials with a suspension clause in case the Georgian authorities fail to fulfill the conditions, including the appointment of early elections to the Georgian parliament. In response, the Georgian delegation refused to work in the Assembly and withdrew members of its delegation from PACE.

As Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated earlier, PACE does not play a special role, but Georgia remains a member of the Council of Europe and is ready for cooperation.

The Georgian Dream says that the reservations made by the Council of Europe to the Georgian side are absurd, groundless and unfair. The reservation on holding early elections for the ruling team is categorically unacceptable and beyond the competence of the Assembly.

What is written in the resolution

PACE deeply regrets that despite the decision to ratify the credentials of the Georgian delegation, all its members withdrew from the delegation and refused from the dialog, as a result of which the Georgian delegation is currently not represented in the Assembly.

In the view of the Assembly, the participation of a ratified delegation in its work and monitoring procedures is not a choice but an obligation.

PACE also notes the deterioration of the situation in the country in all directions in which Georgia has been urged to correct the situation, noting that if the problems are not corrected, ratification of the Georgian delegation's credentials will not be possible in the future.

In particular, the Assembly expresses alarm at the adopted amendments to the Electoral Code, which, according to the Venice Commission, may lead to further strengthening of the position of the ruling party, do not contribute to the promotion of political pluralism and undermine the principle of equal suffrage.

In line with this conclusion, the Assembly calls on the authorities to repeal these amendments.

In addition, PACE is also concerned about the amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Georgia, which reduce the majority required for the appointment of members of the Central Election Commission and remove the legal requirement to consult with civil society organizations during the appointment process.

The Assembly calls on the Georgian authorities to immediately repeal these amendments and restore the conditions for genuinely democratic elections.

In addition, PACE is alarmed by detentions at protests and the “abuse of legal processes against demonstrators, journalists and civic leaders for the purpose of revenge”.

In this context, the Assembly is concerned about the criminal investigation launched against several Georgian solidarity funds and the freezing of their assets.

The Assembly reiterates its call for the immediate release of all detained demonstrators

"While the Assembly notes a decrease in cases of police brutality during demonstrations, it remains concerned that these violations are still not effectively investigated, which creates a climate of impunity," the document says.

The Assembly expresses concern about the recently adopted amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, which negatively affect the rights of freedom of assembly and expression.

PACE is also concerned about the amendments to the media legislation, which prohibit media organizations, including online media, from receiving direct or indirect foreign funding (except for commercial advertising, product placement and similar activities) and significantly expand the powers of the Georgian National Communications Commission.

The Assembly is deeply alarmed by the adoption of the “Law on Registration of Foreign Agents” by the Parliament of Georgia. “This law pursues the same objectives as the contested law on transparency of foreign influence, criminalizes non-compliance and will have a serious impact on civil society in Georgia,” the document notes.

PACE on investigative commission

The Assembly condemns the ruling majority's decision to set up a parliamentary investigative commission with broad powers to "examine the activities of the United National Movement (UNM) regime and its political representatives in 2003-2012," which was later expanded to cover the period from 2013 to the present.

“PACE is concerned that former members of the National Movement, as well as others, including representatives of other opposition parties and civil society, who refused to appear before this commission, are being criminally prosecuted,” the document noted.

In this context, PACE is particularly deeply concerned about the ruling party's stated intention to ban the “collective UNM” and the introduction of legislation banning any successors to these parties.

“A de facto ban on the democratic opposition in Georgia would be a gross violation of Georgia's membership obligations under the Council of Europe charter,” the document says.

PACE notes that even the threat deepens the political divide in the country and prevents the resolution of the current crisis.

Reprinted from https://sputnik-georgia.ru/