Amidst the ongoing political crisis in Georgia, most of the opposition parties issued a public appeal to leaders of the European Union and NATO calling for closer scrutiny in the run up to the October 2 local elections.
“While it is our task to resist this danger to Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic path and reverse it, the moment to apply legitimate leverage and influence to halt these dangerous developments is now,” the letter reads.
The signatory parties outline the July 5 organized mass violence by the Russia and Georgian Dream-linked extremists, their leaders’ continuous impunity as well as the Government’s rejection of the EU aid conditioned upon the judicial reform as “latest in cascade of events that aim to thwart Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic path, in complete disregard of our people’s firm historic choice.”
The joint letter was sent to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel; President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; President of the European Parliament, David Maria Sassoli and Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg.
Below is the full text of the letter:
“It is with great alarm, frustration and concern for Georgia’s future that we have learnt about the Georgian Government’s reckless rejection of the EU macro financial assistance conditioned upon the implementation of judicial reform. This outright confrontational step is unprecedented in Georgian history and constitutes the latest in cascade of events that aim to thwart Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic path, in complete disregard of our people’s firm historic choice.
For decades, the Georgian people have fought consistently and tirelessly for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, and the European Union and NATO remain an obvious, unaltered choice for a significant majority – around 80% - of the Georgian people. Therefore, in every election, the Georgian people have always voted for parties who claim to commit to Europe and bring Georgia closer to the EU and NATO. In the past year, the Georgian Dream government has gradually and consistently shown that their EU ambitions are merely a façade – a façade that is mostly aimed to deceive and lie to the Georgian people. Under this façade, we have witnessed full-pledged state capture by the informal system of governance – the last drop of which was the capture of judiciary. The events of July 5, when PM Garibashvili incited Russian and Georgian Dream-linked extremists to carry out mass violence against Tbilisi Pride, who later physically assaulted 53 journalists with one dying days later, was a landmark event in this context. The organized mass violence took place for many hours without any police resistance. Its key organizers have not been charged.
After its initial commitment, Georgian Dream blatantly violating the April 19 Agreement’s terms, then unilaterally quitting it and rejecting MFA disbursement elevates this dangerous trajectory to yet another level. While it is our task to resist this danger to Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic path and reverse it, the moment to apply legitimate leverage and influence to halt these dangerous developments is now. The commitments accepted by Georgian government included the obligation to hold snap parliamentary elections if the ruling party fails to get 43 percent in local elections this October. We believe that Georgian public will deliver their political verdict in October, and it is our hope that Georgia’s partners in the EU and NATO will support Georgian people’s democratic choice and demand to hold new elections as soon as possible. On our part, we will do everything to protect citizens’ votes in elections and keep Georgia committed to freedom, democracy, and rule of law. We would like to thank you once again for your high-level efforts and dedication in keeping Georgian democracy alive, and we count on your strong political and moral support for ensuring free and fair elections the coming fall.”
Signatories:
- United National Movement
- Girchi-More Freedom
- European Georgia
- Elene Khoshtaria – Droa
- Strategy Aghmashenebeli
- Republican Party of Georgia
- Lelo for Georgia
- Free Democrats
- Christian Democrats
- European Democrats
- United Democratic Party
- Movement State for the People
- Civic Alliance for Freedom
- Law and Order
- Independent MP Tariel Nakaidze.
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