PACE urges all Georgian political parties to enter parliament ‘not to undermine its democratic functioning’
Tweet 
Share
The annual report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) says that it is ‘regrettable’ that Georgian opposition MPs refuse to take up their parliamentary mandates, adding that ‘in the best interest of the country all political parties are urged to take up their parliamentary mandates.’
Regrettably the Georgian opposition parties, alleging widespread fraud, announced that they would boycott the second round of elections (in November 2020) and the new parliament. This is especially regrettable given that the results for opposition parties in these elections would give them a strong position to execute parliamentary oversight. Parliament is the place for the conduct of politics and debate and PACE has therefore consistently opposed parliamentary boycotts,” reads the report which was adopted yesterday.
The report cited local and international observers as saying that the 2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia ‘were competitive with fundamental freedoms respected’ and that parties could campaign freely.
Only four of 60 opposition MPs have entered parliament so far. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda,ge.
At the same time, they (observers) noted an uneven playing field as a result of the abuse of administrative resources and a blurring of the line between State and ruling party,” said the report.
PACE urged the Georgian government to 'fully and transparently investigate' all allegations of electoral misconduct during the October 2020 parliamentary elections and urged all political parties to take up the seats they won in the new parliament and 'not to undermine its democratic functioning.'
The report also said that the situation around the de facto occupied Georgian regions of Tskhinvali and Abkhazia ‘has continued to deteriorate, as the creeping annexation of these regions by Russia continues unabated, which is of serious concern’.
The PACE annual report covered monitoring activities of 2020 in eleven countries, including Georgia.
Members of the Girchi and Citizens opposition parties which have won six seats in the 150-member parliament in the October 31 elections met earlier today to discuss the current political crisis and made an offer to other opposition parties.
Four members of the pro-Russian Alliance of Patriots opposition party, who were on the party’s election list for the October 31, 2020 parliamentary elections, have left the party earlier today and entered the parliament amid the opposition’s boycott.
Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) writes in its report that eight (of nine) political parties and election blocs which won seats in parliament in the October 31 parliamentary elections spent 37.3 million GEL on election campaigning between September 1 and November 17 of 2020.
The 10th convocation of the parliament of Georgia is holding its first session today following the October 31 parliamentary elections and the second round of elections on November 21. No opposition MPs from the eight parties and election blocs that were voted into parliament are attending the session. Five of eight opposition parties and blocs have signed a memorandum earlier today in which they do not recognise the election results, and demand the conduct of repeat elections and refuse to take up their mandates.
Six of eight opposition parties and election blocs who have won seats in the 10th convocation of the Georgian parliament have released a joint statement earlier today in which they said that ‘only the conduct of repeat, democratic parliamentary elections can solve the current political crisis’.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell, who is one of the facilitators in the ongoing election talks between the ruling party and the opposition, says that the refusal of parliament to vote for the suspension of status for 51 opposition MPs yesterday was ‘the right step.’