Ruling party to set up group monitoring political polarisation in country
The Political Council of the ruling party met on Friday to discuss the matter of fulfilling the 12-point conditions outlined by the Council, with party Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze revealing the creation of the group to promote depolarisation in the country. Photo: Georgian Dream Press Office
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The ruling Georgian Dream party will set up a group tasked with monitoring political polarisation in the country, following the inclusion of the challenge of overcoming division on the domestic political field in the conditions outlined by the European Council for granting the country the European Union membership candidate status later this year.
The Political Council of the ruling party met on Friday to discuss the matter of fulfilling the 12-point conditions outlined by the Council, with party Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze revealing the creation of the group to promote depolarisation in the country.
As explained by Kobakhidze at a press briefing, the group will include all parliamentary parties, representatives of civil society and international partners, carry out permanent monitoring on the matter and present weekly reports to the public about the current situation and trends in terms of the division.
The GD official also stressed reduction of political polarisation in the country should be considered as a basis for “effective implementation” of the remaining 11 points outlined by the European Council.
Political polarisation is one of the main challenges of our country, under which the political discussion is shifted to secondary topics instead of issues of state importance. In order to change this situation, it is important to reduce the radical confrontation between the political forces and declare a kind of moratorium on aggressive rhetoric”, Kobakhidze said.
He noted that while the ruling party was “fully aware” of its responsibility in this regard, the opposition must also “refrain” from rhetoric that implies “non-recognition of the Government's domestic and foreign legitimacy” during the six-month period outlined for meeting the set of the Council’s criteria.
The same applies to the media, which, according to the OSCE/ODIR conclusion, is one of the main sources of political polarisation in Georgia; also, non-governmental organisations, a significant part of which is directly involved in this polarising campaign”, he concluded in his comments.
On June 17, the European Commission recommended that Georgia be granted the EU candidate status once the following priorities will have been addressed:
- Work on reducing political polarisation
- Guaranteeing full functioning of all state institutions and further improving the electoral framework
- Adoption and implementation of a transparent and effective judicial reform strategy and action plan
- Strengthening the independence of the Anti-Corruption Agency
- Eliminating the excessive influence of vested interests in economic, political, and public life
- Strengthening the fight against organised crime
- Undertaking stronger efforts to guarantee a free, professional, pluralistic and independent media environment
- Strengthening the protection of human rights of vulnerable groups
- Enhancing gender equality and fight violence against women
- Ensuring the involvement of civil society in decision-making processes at all levels
- Adopting legislation so that Georgian courts proactively take into account European Court of Human Rights judgments in their deliberations
- Ensuring that an independent person is given preference in the process of nominating a new Public Defender
The European Commission will monitor Georgia's progress to address these priorities and report on them by the end of 2022.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said it was “difficult to say" how long it would take for Georgia to receive the European Union membership candidate status, emphasising fulfilment of the conditions outlined by the EU for the outcome.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s European Union Integration Committee, on Monday said the Government would pursue the path of reforms that would “advance the country” on the European integration path and bring it closer to the ultimate goal of becoming an EU member.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday marked the 8th anniversary since the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union, calling it a “historic date” on Georgia’s European integration path and expressing his belief the country would receive the EU membership candidate status “very soon”.
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By having been granted the "European perspective" by European Union bodies, Georgia has received "a guaranteed promise" that it will "definitely become" a member of the EU, Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili said on Friday.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said “everybody” from the domestic opposition should be involved in the process related to obtaining the European Union membership candidate status for Georgia.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said that a working group would be created with the Parliament’s Legal Issues Committee to work on a bill intended to address the European Council’s requirement for the country to curb “excessive influence of vested interests in economic, political, and public life”.
The ruling Georgian Dream party will publish its judicial reform strategy and action plan by October 1, with relevant legislative amendments to be submitted to the Parliament by November 1, party Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze said on Friday.
The ruling Georgian Dream party on Friday presented its strategy for fulfilling the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Council for granting the country the European Union membership candidate status later this year.
Member of the European Parliament Marketa Gregorova on Monday said she was “very happy” that there was a plan and a will from the Georgian Government for fulfilling the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union for granting the country the membership candidate status later this year.
The decision of the Georgian opposition to boycott the working groups proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party in order to fulfil the European Union membership status conditions is a mistake, Petr Mikyska, the Ambassador of Czechia to Georgia, said on Tuesday in an interview with local media outlet Interpressnews.