Georgia: Parliamentary opposition and independent deputies appealed to the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, to convene an extraordinary session.
In addition, they call on the Speaker of the Parliament to ensure the implementation of the necessary procedures for the preparation of the extraordinary session, including the recording of committee hearings in an accelerated mode.
Joint Statement:
“We, the signatory parliamentary opposition, are guided in accordance with Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia, according to which the constitutional bodies must take all measures within their powers to ensure the full integration of Georgia into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, taking into account the responsibilities assigned to us by the citizens of Georgia, the European Union and the European Commission to fulfil the 12-point recommendation necessary for Georgia to receive the EU candidate country status.
We appeal to the President of Georgia, on the basis of Clause 2 of Article 44 of the Constitution of Georgia and Clause 8 of Article 82 of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Georgia, to convene an extraordinary session from July 18, 2022, with the following agenda:
1. “On Amendments to the Constitution of Georgia” (Registration No. 07-3/92)
2. Draft Law of Georgia “On the National Anti-Corruption Agency” and the package of accompanying legislative amendments (Registration #07-3/71)
3. “About General Courts” regarding amendments to the Organic Law of Georgia” (Registration No. 07-3/96)
4. “About General Courts” Regarding Amendments to the Organic Law of Georgia” (Registration No. 07-3/106)
Also, we call on the Chairman of the Parliament to ensure the implementation of the necessary procedures for the preparation of the extraordinary session, including the recording of committee hearings in an accelerated mode.
Our proposed agenda addresses three of the 12 prerequisites (eliminate political polarization, ensure total and true independence of the judiciary, create an anti-corruption agency, and investigate cases of elite corruption). All four issues we put on the agenda have already been initiated in the Parliament of Georgia, are based on the spirit of April 19, have been discussed and agreed upon with the non-governmental sector, and have received a positive assessment from our Western partners and international organizations.
Accordingly, the extraordinary session represents a real step toward depolarization and will be an indicator of whether the authorities really want to fulfil the mandatory prerequisites for receiving the status of a member proposed by the European Commission, depolarize the processes and transfer the relations with the opposition and the people to a format of result-oriented cooperation, or if their goal is to prolong the time and imitate the process of implementing the recommendations.
At the same time, we would like to emphasize that even if Georgian Dream rejects our constructive and business proposal, we, the parliamentary opposition political parties, as political forces motivated by national interests, independently of the government, with the wide involvement of the interested society and the civil sector, will continue to fulfil our national task – mandatory for European integration. Taking the necessary steps to implement the recommendations.
Once again, we appeal to the government, do not to refuse to participate in the extraordinary session and fully engage in the real parliamentary activity that we offer.
Otherwise, it will be your political lustration and a direct demonstration that the main thing for you is not the national interests of Georgia and integration into Europe, but maintaining power at the cost of damaging the state interest of Georgia”.
Parliamentary opposition parties that signed the statement: United National Movement; try; Republican Party; for Georgia; Strategy is uplifting.
Independent MPs who signed the statement: Armaz Akhvlediani; Shalva Shavgulidze; Tamar Charkviani; Tamar Kordzaia; Salome Samadashvili; David Baqradze.
The Chairman of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, does not share the request. Citizens, Girchi and European Socialists do not sign the statement from the opposition.
