Georgian Government’s Actions Eroded Democratic Process, Says US Deputy Assistant-Sec Olson
By Khatia Bzhalava
Friday, December 10
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Erika Olson, who is overseeing policy for Southern Europe and the Caucasus, said on December 8 that the Georgian Dream government has committed to judicial and electoral reforms, and the US would like to see it follow through on those commitments.
“We continue to strongly support Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and as a partner, we want to help them in the judiciary and electoral reforms they have decided are important for the future of the country,” she underlined.
While addressing the Foreign Policy‘s virtual dialogue “Great Power Plays in the South Caucasus,” Olson positively assessed Georgia’s efforts to ensure regional peace and its commitment to democratic reforms but added that the Georgian government’s actions have ‘eroded some of that democratic process.
She noted that the US will continue to engage very strongly in Georgia’s democratic processes, adding that “I have delivered tough messages when it is necessary, I think that is an important part of friendships.”
Olson pointed out that her recent trip to Georgia reminded her of the strong and enduring partnership between Georgia and the United States and stressed the importance of continued work for democratic development.
Olson’s remarks come after the US Ambassador Kelly Degnan called the appointment of four Supreme Court judges ‘disappointing’. The ambassador also noted that if the ruling Georgian Dream party rejects an electoral bill that would establish a two percent election threshold for the next two parliamentary elections, there might be a risk of establishing ‘the tyranny of the majority.’ The US Embassy to Georgia has called on the Georgian parliament numerous times before to halt the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court until large-scale judicial reforms are implemented in the country.
Olson's statement was followed by criticism from the ruling party. According to the Head of Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, Anri Okhanashvili, he would like to hear a concrete example of an international best practice that contradicts the Georgian government’s efforts to reform the country’s electoral and judiciary systems, stating that “criticism should be based on a specific fact and argument.”
