EU Reacts to Special Investigation, Personal Data Protection Appointments

EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell today commented on the Georgian Parliament’s February 15 decisions to appoint the chiefs of the forthcoming Special Investigation and Personal Data Protection agencies which will replace the State Inspector’s Service, and to terminate the mandates of three opposition MPs.

The diplomat stressed that while the EU has taken note of the appointments, it awaits the outcome of the appeal process in the Constitutional Court, where State Inspector Londa Toloraia has lodged a suit against the controversial dissolution of the Service.

Ambassador Hartzell highlighted that the EU still fails to see “objective reasons for the unexpected and hasty dismantlement” of the Service by the Georgian Parliament, as well as the early termination of the mandate of State Inspector Toloraia.

“Effective democratic oversight of the security sector and proper safeguarding of data protection remain Georgian commitments for which it will be held accountable,” the diplomat asserted. “It is essential for the European Union’s willingness and ability to support Georgia in key reform areas.”

As for the GD-led Parliament’s termination of the MP mandates of Lelo’s Badri Japaridze, Labor party chair Shalva Natelashvili and Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria, the diplomat said the move “arguably came at the expense of political inclusiveness and democratic pluralism in the Parliament.”

But he said it was a political choice “on the basis of principles that I will not debate.”

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