Opposition Prepares Joint Memorandum
Opposition parties are expected on Monday to sign a joint memorandum, outlining urgent measures, they say, are required to secure free and fair parliamentary elections in spring.
The nine-party opposition coalition, as well as the New Rights, Industrialists and Labor parties, are expected to sign the memorandum. Exact details are still unavailable.
“The key demands remain unchanged: a recount of the January 5 presidential election; the suspension of all forms of political repression; the composition of election administrations at all levels on a parity basis between the opposition and the authorities; the composition of the board of trustees of the Georgian Public Broadcaster on a parity basis,” MP Kakha Kukava of the Conservative Party told Civil.Ge on January 26.
He said that currently the opposition had “paused” protest rallies. “We will submit our demands to Parliament as we want to begin dialogue. We’re offering the authorities a way of overcoming the crisis. If they don’t want [dialogue], we will settle the political crisis in our country on Rustaveli Avenue [meaning, protest rallies],” MP Kukava said.
Davit Gamkrelidze, leader of the New Rights party and a candidate in the January 5 election, has confirmed that efforts were underway to develop a joint memorandum. “At this stage it is important to have a joint memorandum by the opposition presidential candidates and opposition parties,” he said on January 26.
Pavle Kublashvili, a ruling party lawmaker, meanwhile, has warned against opposition ultimata, saying such an approach was not conducive to dialogue.
