Ruling party, opposition hope to reach agreement at upcoming EU-mediated talks
The talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition are likely to resume on March 29 after the EU mediator Christian Danielsson arrives in Georgia for the second time this month. Photo: EU Delegation to Georgia
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A couple of days before the EU-mediated talks between the Georgian ruling party and opposition, both sides express their readiness to reach the final agreement to end the current political crisis in Georgia.
Ruling party member Mamuka Mdinaradze has stated that the Georgian Dream is ready to continue talks even with the most ‘destructive’ part of the opposition.
However, Mdinaradze noted after the meeting at the Georgian Dream headquarter in downtown Tbilisi earlier today that the ruling party has already made compromising steps and offered solutions to the crisis.
If opposition will make any constructive steps we will manage to end the negotiations with agreement”, Mdinaradze said.
He meanwhile explained that this is not only in the interests of the particular parties but the entire country.
It is in the interest of the country that we manage to reach an agreement to continue to work together (...) on the eradication of the damage caused by the pandemic, including its economic affect and other issues which are important for the Georgian society”, he added.
On its part, opposition parties including the United National Movement, European Georgia, Lelo and Girchi - More Freedom have expressed their readiness to enter the parliament if they agree with the current Georgian leadership on holding repeat elections, releasing of political figures as well as carrying out election and judiciary reforms and distribution of power in parliament.
Most of the opposition politicians who have won seats in the tenth convocation of parliament refuse to take up their mandates claiming the elections have been rigged in favour of the ruling party. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Noting that they are aware of importance of reaching the agreement with the ruling party to end the crisis, part of the opposition politicians have stated today that ‘under the normal political circumstances’ the place of all political forces is in the parliament.
They meanwhile said in a joint statement earlier today that ‘politicized judiciary’, ‘selective justice’, persecution of opponents, civil activists, critical media and their detention are ‘incompatible with liberal democracy’ and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration.
The talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition are likely to resume on Monday after the EU mediator Christian Danielsson arrives in Georgia for the second time this month.
Danielsson, who was sent to Georgia by European Council President Charles Michel on March 12, had spent a week in Georgia, more than scheduled, to help the parties come to an agreement but in vain.
The EU-mediation talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition on the issues of repeat parliamentary elections and the release of opposition figures are likely to resume on Monday, IPN has cited the EU delegation to Georgia as saying. IPN has reported that the EU mediator in the talks Christian Danielsson will arrive in Georgia either on March 28 or 29.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has stated earlier today that the ruling Georgian Dream party is not considering holding repeat parliamentary elections or the release of opposition United National Movement chair Nika Melia during the upcoming EU-mediated negotiations.
The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe has released its opinion on several Georgian bills and has called on the country ‘to reconsider several amendments to the Election Code, the Law on Political Associations of Citizens and the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Georgia.’
Georgia’s former Ambassador to EU Natalie Sabanadze, who has recently resigned, has told Le Monde that ‘all our leaders say they are pro-European, but it is not enough to say it, we must be, too.’
EU mediator Christian Danielsson, who arrived in Georgia late last night, calls on the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition to agree on a compromise. Danielsson said upon arrival that he is looking forward to engaging with the leaders of the political parties in supporting them to reach an agreement to end the political crisis in this country.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has stated that the ruling Georgian Dream party is ready for a ‘constructive dialogue’ with the opposition to solve the current political tension ‘as soon as possible.’ Garibashvili made the statement earlier today after his meeting with EU mediator Christian Danielsson who returned back to Tbilisi on March 27 after the failure of his previous mediation efforts earlier this month.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that the chance is about fifty-fifty of reaching an agreement with the parliamentary opposition on election-related issues and the release of imprisoned opposition figures amid the current political tension. The statement came after today’s meeting with the EU mediator in talks between the ruling party and the opposition Christian Danielsson who returned to Tbilisi on March 27 after previous mediation efforts failed earlier this month.
The ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition have failed to come to an agreement in EU-mediated talks for the second time. The document offered by EU mediator Christian Danielsson yesterday which concerned ‘ambitious electoral and judicial reform’ and offered amnesty for suspects and convicts of the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi was not signed by any of the parties.