Saakashvili Downplays CoE Recommendations

On January 17, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili commented regarding the draft resolution on honoring of obligations and commitments by Georgia, which will be discussed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in late January, saying that ?it is up to us? whether to follow these recommendation or not.

The provisional version of the resolution, which was issued by the PACE Monitoring Committee last December, notes that the ?Georgian authorities continue to demonstrate an unyielding resolve to carry out far-reaching political, legal, social and economic reforms? but criticizes ?a semi-presidential system with very strong powers of the president, basically no parliamentary opposition, a weaker civil society, a judicial system which is not yet sufficiently independent and functioning, underdeveloped or non-existing local democracy, a self-censored media and an inadequate model of autonomy in Adjara.?

?Now Georgia has huge international support, which we have never had before. The fact that we are given recommendations is a usual process and this is very good. But it is up to us to decide whether to implement them or not. We are independent and people here decide how the state should be governed,? President Saakashvili told reporters on January 17.

The draft resolution of the PACE became a reason for criticism by the governmental opposition. President Saakashvili described these politicians as ?provincials.?

President Saakashvili intends to visit Strasbourg and attend the PACE Session in late January, when the draft resolution on Georgia will be discussed.

However, the Georgian President said that his prime goal of visiting Strasbourg will be to unveil Georgia?s peace proposal over South Ossetian and Abkhazian conflict resolution at the PACE Session.