The News in Brief
Monday, September 9, 2024
Prepared by Messenger Staff
Coalition of Georgian NGOs Launches Citizen-Led Election Monitoring Mission
A new coalition of non-governmental organizations in Georgia has launched a monitoring mission called My Voice, which aims to promote citizen participation in election observation. The coalition brings together about 30 organizations with experience in both local and international election monitoring.
Nino Lomjaria, former Public Defender of Georgia and founder of the platform European Orbit of Georgia, explained that the initiative was born from citizens' reaction to the controversial "Russian Law" and their desire to ensure fair elections. Lomjaria emphasized that the coalition will train citizens from all regions of Georgia, regardless of their profession or background, to participate as election observers.
"On the second day after the adoption of the 'Russian Law,' citizens began to unite around this initiative. This desire came from the citizens themselves. We, civil society organizations-about 30 in total-are responding to these expectations. We encourage the citizens of Georgia to participate in the observation process.
We are united by organizations and individuals with both local and international experience in observation, as well as knowledge of possible violations and election manipulations. We will train Georgian citizens, regardless of their profession, interests, or field of activity. Any citizen from any part of Georgia can register as an observer," said Lomjaria.
Schmid Calls for Repeal of Foreign Agents Law as 10th Step in Georgia's EU Membership Negotiations
According to Bundestag member Nils Schmid, the 10th point, the repeal of the so-called Russian law, should be added to the 9-point plan for starting negotiations on Georgia's EU membership. He made this statement during a press conference held by the German Bundestag delegation visiting Georgia.
Schmid stated that under the current government policy, there is no possibility for Georgia to become a member of the European Union.
Schmid emphasized that this is an important opportunity to convey two clear messages. First, he stated that they expect the upcoming elections at the end of October to be fair and free, noting that these elections are critical for Georgia's democratic and European future. The decision on which path to follow rests with the Georgian people, and they will fully respect the outcome of the elections. Schmid also acknowledged that the people of Georgia highly value and protect their democracy, urging every citizen to participate in the elections. He mentioned that international monitoring missions are in place and that they are closely observing how the election process will unfold.
"The second message is as follows: under the current government policy, there is no possibility for Georgia to become a member of the European Union. This was made clear by the EU when it halted the process of European integration. Any decision regarding the EU accession process requires the approval of the parliament, and our parties represent the vast majority of the German Bundestag. Given the current policies, Georgia will not receive the approval of the German parliament to open membership negotiations. Everyone knows the 9 steps that Georgia must take to start negotiations on EU membership. I want to tell you that we need to add a 10th step, and that should be the repeal of the foreign agents law, which is clearly at odds with European standards," the Bundestag member stated.
Kobakhidze Criticizes EU for Suspending Funding Based on 'Lies', Says Compensation is Minimal
According to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, "It is problematic when representatives of the European Union suspend funding based on a lie. A lie is very bad, and it does not reflect well on the representatives of the EU." This was his response to a question regarding the suspension of certain funding by the European Union following the adoption of the so-called Russian law.
He asserted that "the amounts in question are minor."
"As for the term 'Russian law', this is a lie, it's deception, and you know that very well. As for the funding, if something has been suspended, it will be easily compensated. We are talking about very small amounts, and the fact itself is unfortunate. The fact that funding is being halted due to a lie is very bad, but since we are talking about such small amounts, compensating for this doesn't require much effort.
Today, we discussed that over the past four years, our budget has increased by 10 billion GEL, and in relation to all of this, the projects in question are just a drop in the ocean. There are no significant funds involved here, and compensation is easy. What is concerning and unfortunate is when representatives of the European Union take such actions based on falsehoods. It's minimal, and we will compensate for it.
For example, agriculture is one of the sectors where these funds are allocated. We are told that, across the country, the annual amount of EU funding is around 5 million euros, while the Georgian government spends 330 million GEL annually on the relevant projects.
We see the ratio here, and compensating for this is not a problem. The problem is when representatives of the European Union suspend some funding based on lies. Compensation is not the issue, but a lie is very bad, and it doesn't reflect well on the representatives of the European Union," said Kobakhidze.
Coalition of Georgian NGOs Launches Citizen-Led Election Monitoring Mission
Nino Lomjaria, former Public Defender of Georgia and founder of the platform European Orbit of Georgia, explained that the initiative was born from citizens' reaction to the controversial "Russian Law" and their desire to ensure fair elections. Lomjaria emphasized that the coalition will train citizens from all regions of Georgia, regardless of their profession or background, to participate as election observers.
"On the second day after the adoption of the 'Russian Law,' citizens began to unite around this initiative. This desire came from the citizens themselves. We, civil society organizations-about 30 in total-are responding to these expectations. We encourage the citizens of Georgia to participate in the observation process.
We are united by organizations and individuals with both local and international experience in observation, as well as knowledge of possible violations and election manipulations. We will train Georgian citizens, regardless of their profession, interests, or field of activity. Any citizen from any part of Georgia can register as an observer," said Lomjaria.
Schmid Calls for Repeal of Foreign Agents Law as 10th Step in Georgia's EU Membership Negotiations
Schmid stated that under the current government policy, there is no possibility for Georgia to become a member of the European Union.
Schmid emphasized that this is an important opportunity to convey two clear messages. First, he stated that they expect the upcoming elections at the end of October to be fair and free, noting that these elections are critical for Georgia's democratic and European future. The decision on which path to follow rests with the Georgian people, and they will fully respect the outcome of the elections. Schmid also acknowledged that the people of Georgia highly value and protect their democracy, urging every citizen to participate in the elections. He mentioned that international monitoring missions are in place and that they are closely observing how the election process will unfold.
"The second message is as follows: under the current government policy, there is no possibility for Georgia to become a member of the European Union. This was made clear by the EU when it halted the process of European integration. Any decision regarding the EU accession process requires the approval of the parliament, and our parties represent the vast majority of the German Bundestag. Given the current policies, Georgia will not receive the approval of the German parliament to open membership negotiations. Everyone knows the 9 steps that Georgia must take to start negotiations on EU membership. I want to tell you that we need to add a 10th step, and that should be the repeal of the foreign agents law, which is clearly at odds with European standards," the Bundestag member stated.
Kobakhidze Criticizes EU for Suspending Funding Based on 'Lies', Says Compensation is Minimal
He asserted that "the amounts in question are minor."
"As for the term 'Russian law', this is a lie, it's deception, and you know that very well. As for the funding, if something has been suspended, it will be easily compensated. We are talking about very small amounts, and the fact itself is unfortunate. The fact that funding is being halted due to a lie is very bad, but since we are talking about such small amounts, compensating for this doesn't require much effort.
Today, we discussed that over the past four years, our budget has increased by 10 billion GEL, and in relation to all of this, the projects in question are just a drop in the ocean. There are no significant funds involved here, and compensation is easy. What is concerning and unfortunate is when representatives of the European Union take such actions based on falsehoods. It's minimal, and we will compensate for it.
For example, agriculture is one of the sectors where these funds are allocated. We are told that, across the country, the annual amount of EU funding is around 5 million euros, while the Georgian government spends 330 million GEL annually on the relevant projects.
We see the ratio here, and compensating for this is not a problem. The problem is when representatives of the European Union suspend some funding based on lies. Compensation is not the issue, but a lie is very bad, and it doesn't reflect well on the representatives of the European Union," said Kobakhidze.