Joint Statement of Parties Organizing Ongoing Protest Rallies

May 18, 2009

Meeting between the representatives of the non-parliamentary opposition and Mikheil Saakashvili on May 11 confirmed once again that the authorities are inadequately assessing the deep political crisis in the country and therefore, it is impossible to resolve the problems through a constructive dialogue with them.

At the same time, after the meeting Mikheil Saakashvili in general expressed readiness for implementing reforms in several directions.

We offer the authorities concrete proposals on launching the reforms in these directions.

In case of implementation of these proposals until May 26, it will be possible to start the process of achieving a national consent and strengthening the Georgian statehood:

1. Real steps for overcoming political crisis:

• President’s resignation and holding of early presidential elections;
• Holding of fair and free parliamentary elections in autumn 2009;
• Holding of Tbilisi Mayor’s elections simultaneously with the parliamentary elections.

2. With the purpose of launching of constitutional reforms:

• Setting date of next parliamentary elections for October 2009 through constitutional changes;
• Holding a plebiscite, simultaneously with the parliamentary elections, on forms of constitutional arrangement;

3. With the purpose of providing political impartiality of law enforcement system:

• Replacement of Interior Minister and Justice Minister through the agreement with the opposition;
• Separation of the Department for Constitutional Security and other security subdivisions from the Interior Ministry;

4. With the purpose of launching judiciary reform:

• Replacement of the Chairman of the Supreme Court through the agreement with the opposition;

5. With the purpose of electoral reforms:

• Replacement of the chairman of the Central Election Commission through the agreement with the opposition;
• Creation of a working group on electoral code led by a new chairman of CEC;

6. With the purpose of recovery of media space and launch of public broadcaster’s reform:

• Replacement director general of the public broadcaster and the members of the board of trustees through the agreement with the opposition;
• Transferring management of the public broadcaster’s Channel 2 to an agreed group of political analysts and experts;
  Return of Imedi TV to its legal owner;
• Eradicating artificial barriers for issuing broadcasting licenses.

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