CSOs Appeal for Transparency in EU Mediation

Twelve local CSOs appealed today to Christian Danielsson, European Council President Charles Michel’s personal envoy to mediate Georgia’s political crisis talks, to enhance public communication on the mediation results and the responsibilities of political parties in the process.

The organizations said they regret that the negotiations behind the closed doors were previously “less transparent,” allowing the ruling Georgian Dream and the opposition parties to trade accusations for the failure in reaching the deal.

The statement comes as Danielsson is expected to return to Georgia in the coming days. President Charles Michel’s personal envoy concluded his week-long extended visit to Tbilisi on March 19 without making the parties reach the agreement.

President Michel initiated the EU mediation after the detention of opposition leader Nika Melia, coming a few hours after PM Garibashvili’s approval as Prime Minister, deepened Georgia’s political stalemate. But the crisis began in November, the last year, when the major opposition parties declared refusal to enter the new Parliament, citing “fraudulent” general elections in October.

Today’s joint statement was signed by the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), Transparency International (TI) Georgia  Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF), Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), Sapari, Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI), Tolerance and Diversity Center (TDI), Rights Georgia, Democracy Research Institute (DRI), Human Rights Center, Institute for Democracy and Safe Development (IDSD).

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