Opposition MP: not engaging in agenda set by EU “counterproductive” for receiving candidate status
Ioseliani stressed forces of the Georgian political spectrum had an “obligation” to participate in the process over the matter, and called on the parties and the non-governmental sector to engage in the discussion. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Levan Ioseliani, a member of the Citizens opposition party and Vice Speaker of the Parliament, on Monday said domestic political forces not engaging in the agenda set by the European Union for Georgia for granting the country the membership candidate status would be “counterproductive”.
Ioseliani stressed forces of the Georgian political spectrum had an “obligation” to participate in the process over the matter, and called on the parties and the non-governmental sector to engage in the discussion.
[T]his is not a process initiated by the [ruling] Georgian Dream party - it is a process initiated by the European Union, indicating that the opposition parties should be involved in this discussion”, he said.
I know the attitude of a large number of non-governmental organisations and they intend to participate. It is natural and it is right. Otherwise, we will not be able to fulfil these recommendations”, the Parliament official said.
Ioseliani called on the opposition to “put aside” their political agenda and “try to force” the ruling Georgian Dream party to fulfil the 12 conditions set by the EU for the membership status.
The main problems in the judiciary [from the list of conditions] are related to the issue of independence. The main challenge is the trust in the judiciary and this requires systemic reform to address this problem”, he concluded in his comments.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said a part of the domestic opposition had “boycotted Europe” and the implementation of the conditions outlined by the European Union for granting the country the membership candidate status later this year.
Davit Matikashvili, an MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said a “meticulous” implementation of the 12-point conditions established by the European Union would lead to Georgia receiving the EU membership candidate status, which he said was “not in the plans” of the opposition United National Movement party.
Khatuna Samnidze, an opposition MP and the Chair of the Republican Party, on Thursday said the implementation of the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status should “go beyond party interests”.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chairman of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, on Thursday called on the domestic opposition, non-governmental organisations and experts to get involved in the work process on fulfilling the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday highlighted the Global Peace Index showed the country ranked second in the world with the ten-year progress in peacefulness, and credited this achievement with the “correct policy” of the former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and the ruling Georgian Dream team.
Nacho Sánchez Amor, a Member of the European Parliament, on Tuesday said the decision of the European Council to grant Georgia a status different from what Moldova and Ukraine had received was a “political mistake” and “obviously” created more polarisation in the country’s domestic political environment.
The Georgian Parliament is reviewing implementation of standards of the European Court of Human Rights in Georgian courts, a question connected to one of the clauses outlined by the European Council for granting the country the European Union membership candidate status later this year.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday criticised the move of three Parliamentary opposition parties to boycott a working group initiated by GD for joint work for the country’s European Union membership candidate status and instead launch a separate format last week.
An alternative working format proposed by three Parliamentary opposition parties for work on Georgia’s European Union membership candidate status “will not benefit” the country’s European prospects, and the opposition should work together with the ruling party for the objective, Nika Simonishvili, the head of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association non-governmental organisation, said on Monday.
Levan Ioseliani, a member of the Citizens opposition party and the Vice Speaker of the Parliament, on Monday said alternative working formats proposed by three Parliamentary opposition parties for work on Georgia’s European Union membership candidate status contradicted a “direct request” of the European partners that domestic stakeholders should be involved together in the working process over the matter.
The Georgian Public Defender’s Office on Tuesday said it had studied 153 alleged cases of discrimination last year, with the highest number related to alleged discrimination on the basis of opinion.