PACE President Urges Authorities to Maintain Reform Momentum

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Ren? van der Linden, who visited Georgia on August 20-22, urged the Georgian authorities to maintain the momentum of reform, the Council of Europe press office reported on August 22.

During his visit, van der Linden met with Vice-Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Mikheil Machavariani, Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli, as well as with opposition parliamentarians and representatives of civil society.

Issues related with effective system of checks and balances, including a strong opposition, independent judiciary, active civil society and free media, as well as reform of local self-governance were discussed during the visit.

Speaking at a news conference in Tbilisi on August 22 Ren? van der Linden reiterated the Council of Europe?s recommendation to the Georgian government to lower the electoral threshold of 7%, in order to create conditions for a pluralist and genuinely representative parliament.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian)