Following the Parliament’s adoption of the constitutional amendments over electoral reform, the Georgian opposition parties released a joint statement, reiterating calls for “complete fulfillment” of the March 8 agreement and emphasizing that the release of Giorgi Rurua, shareholder of pro-opposition Mtavari Arkhi TV, “remains a principled issue.”
“Along with active civic movements, the unity of democratic opposition and their firm positions have played a huge role in achieving essentially proportional elections,” the joint statement of July 2 reads.
The opposition parties then hailed their unity as an exemplary way for future cooperation and consolidation that is “important for helping Georgia come out of a political deadlock.”
The joint statement was signed by European Georgia, United National Movement, Republican Party, New Georgia, Girchi, European Democrats, Christian-Conservative Party, United Georgia – Democratic Movement, State for People, Serve Georgia, Free Democrats and others.
The Georgian parliament approved constitutional amendments in a final round of voting on June 29, introducing an electoral system agreed upon by the ruling Georgian Dream and the opposition parties on March 8. Opposition lawmakers from the United National Movement and European Georgia parties boycotted the vote, as their demand to release “political prisoner” Giorgi Rurua had not been met.
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