Washington Alarmed Over ‘Repeated Setbacks’ to Georgian Democracy

“Washington is growing increasingly alarmed about repeated setbacks to Georgia’s democratic future,” said a strongly-worded July 29 U.S. Embassy statement in response to the ruling Georgian Dream party’s withdrawal from the EU-brokered deal.

The Embassy stressed that the U.S. “is deeply disturbed and exasperated” by the governing party’s unilateral decision to quit the April 19 deal – “another deviation from the letter and spirit of the negotiations Georgian Dream participated in and the agreement they signed.”

It argued that the decision to quit “only creates more political instability for the country and raises questions about Georgian Dream’s commitment to achieving Georgia’s democratic goals, goals that Georgian Dream itself set for the country.”

The Embassy pointed out that 115 MPs from at least six of the nine elected parties had signed the deal and pledged to overcome “deep polarization,” following six months of “difficult but collaborative” negotiations. Georgian Dream had cited the refusal of four elected groups, including the largest, United National Movement-led bloc, to join the agreement as reasoning to quit.

Noting that all signatories should be held accountable to their commitments, the Embassy stressed that “Georgia’s interests will be best served” if the judicial, constitutional, and electoral reforms envisaged in the deal are implemented by “multiparty consensus, rather than by unilateral action of one party.” It said that this is the most responsible way to end “Georgia’s cycle of political crises.”

The U.S. Embassy called on all parties to work together in fulfilling in “good faith” the commitments under the Agreement, which are “vital” for Georgia’s European integration.

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