Georgian Dream Signs EU-Proposed Compromise Document
Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze said today that the ruling Georgian Dream party signs the EU-proposed compromise document of March 31, aiming to solve Georgia’s political crisis.
The Parliament Speaker also expressed the Georgian Dream Government’s readiness to discuss the snap elections – demanded by the boycotting opposition – if the ruling party fails to garner 40% of votes in local elections slated for October 2021.
“We expressed our principled readiness already at the final meeting [of March 31] to sign the document, which was also the position of several opposition politicians; But we did not sign it [then], as we expected counter steps from the opposition,” noted the Parliament Speaker at the today’s press briefing in the ruling party headquarters.
Speaker Talakvadze underlined that in the compromise document, EU mediator Christian Danielsson did not include the snap elections issue, “which is yet another clear confirmation of the legitimacy of [October 2020] Parliamentary Elections and the [current] Parliament.” “International community does not share the opposition’s allegations that the elections were rigged,” he said.
Hailing the Georgian Dream’s decision as a manifestation of the ruling party’s “high responsibility,” the Georgian Parliament Speaker said, “now it is the opposition’s turn, that has one more chance to prove they put state interests above the partisan.”
Major opposition party leaders from the United National Movement, European Georgia, Girchi – More Freedom, Lelo, and Strategy Agmashenebeli said in response that they do not plan to sign the EU-proposed document, claiming further work needs to be done regarding the issues of “political prisoners” and early elections.
Christian Danielsson, European Council President Charles Michel’s personal envoy to mediate the Georgian crisis, publicized the compromise document on March 31, after his second failed attempt to bring opposing parties to the deal. The parties then largely agreed on the electoral reform, judicial reform, and parliamentary power-sharing points written in the document but failed to achieve consensus over the conduct of snap elections and the release of alleged political prisoners. The opposition demands the new vote and the release of “political prisoners” – claimed denied by the GD Government.
While the ruling and the opposition parties traded accusations over the failed talks back on March 31, Christian Danielsson said he was “sad to report that none of the political parties could agree to this solution in whole.”
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