Georgian NGOs address US senators with letter
By Khatia Bzhalava
Thursday, April 15
Five NGOs have addressed US senators with a letter regarding the political crisis in Georgia, calling for more active involvement from the US in the resolution process. The letter reads that the prolongation of the crisis in Georgia benefits only the Kremlin when the country is facing serious geopolitical problems. The NGOs believe that resolving the crisis and ensuring further democratic development of the country is crucial for Georgia’s quick accession to the Euro-Atlantic structures. The letter is addressed to Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Chairwoman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, and Senator Ron Johnson.
The letter reads that the opposition’s boycott after the 2020 Parliamentary elections has resulted in virtually a single-party legislature under control of the Georgian Dream. The letter also stresses that in February, Georgian Dream-led authorities decided to arrest the leader of the biggest opposition party, the United National Movement, “turning the political impasse into a full-blown crisis.” The NGOs also underscore that on top of many failed reforms in the areas of Judiciary, Anti-corruption policy, and Elections, the unwillingness of the ruling party to share power with the opposition has resulted in one-party dominance over all branches of the government.
The organizations believe that to end the crisis, the Georgian Dream should agree to share power.
According to the letter, members of Georgian civil society are asking for the US Senators’ assistance in the achievement of the following goals:
Increase US engagement in supporting EU efforts to mediate a solution to the current crisis;
Make clear that the status quo, virtually a single-party parliament, is incompatible with membership in the Euro-Atlantic community;
Deescalate the situation by releasing the defendants Giorgi Rurua and Nika Melia;
Terminate cases, which, on subsequent stages, shall be adjudicated by a reformed judiciary;
Push for judicial and electoral reform;
Encourage power-sharing within various institutions, including the Parliament;
Opposition’s consent should be required when confirming the General Auditor and the Prosecutor General.
Once the Georgian Dream makes these commitments to the Georgian people and the international partners, the opposition must take up the parliamentary seats won in the 2020 elections, engage in political processes, and participate in the development and the implementation of the above-mentioned reforms.
The organizations signing the letter are Transparency International Georgia, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, the Open Society Georgia Foundation, and Liberal Academy Tbilisi.
