Watchdog CSOs: Informal Rule Triggers Crisis of Democratic Institutions

A group of thirteen local civil society organizations released a statement on October 1, expressing concern over the recent developments in Georgia, which they believe indicates “a severe crisis in the governance system, clear signs of high level corruption and informal, clan rule.”

They said the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) “has failed to demonstrate political will on creating a more viable, more democratic system for resolving these issues,” despite their promise to “restore justice” in cases of grave and systemic violations of human rights committed in the past.

“We believe that the control exercised by an influential group over public institutions and its use of those institutions for the promotion of narrow group interests is a precursor towards the breakdown of public institutions,” the statement reads, charging that instead of “looking for solutions” GDDG is “trying to avoid responsibility.”

According to the CSOs, in the past few years, there have been a number of cases pointing to the fact, that “certain individuals stand above the law and are untouchable.” They believe, “the parallel existence of formal and informal governance undermines the system of democratic accountability, strips the official decision-makers of their responsibilities and alienates citizens from the political system.”

The authors:

  • called on the state institutions to act based on their constitutional obligations and in public interest;
  • urged  current and former public officials, as well as businessmen, to publicize cases of potential abuse of power and illegal interference in the work of public institutions;
  • and called upon international partners to pay close attention to the fulfillment of the commitments undertaken by the Government, including those related to human rights and rule of law.

The CSOs’ statement comes less than a week after the group in nearly the same composition expressed concern over the alleged corrupt dealings involving public officials, calling on the Chief Prosecutor’s Office to launch a probe into the matter.

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