The Daily Beat: 27 November
The government approved the “De-Oligarchization Action Plan,” tasking the foreign minister with communicating the document to European colleagues. Earlier in November, the European Commission conditioned its recommendation on Georgia’s EU candidacy with nine steps, including improvement of the current “De-oligarchization Action Plan” in line with the Venice Commission recommendations and with the participation of opposition parties and civil society. Civil.ge understands that neither opposition parties nor civil society were involved in the “improvement process.”
In the statement issued on Monday, the largest opposition party, the United National Movement, distanced itself from the former chairman, Nika Melia. “Despite our months-long efforts to have the former chairman return to the party, Nika Melia does not share the principles set out in the manifesto, continues the campaign to damage the party, and publicly declares that he is “not in the National Movement.” It is a fact that Nika Melia does not represent the UNM anymore,” reads the UNM statement. Speaking on Formula TV’s Sunday TV show, the UNM Chairman, Levan Khabeishvili, said that Nika Melia no longer represents the party and that he cannot speak on behalf of the party.
The legislative proposal on the extension of old IDs adopted by the parliament in the first reading a year before the 2024 parliamentary elections raises fears over alleged electoral fraud. Amendments to the Election Code will allow citizens to vote with the so-called “laminated” IDs (identity cards that do not contain electronic information), which are outdated and vulnerable to fraud. This controversial legislative amendment was proposed by the ruling party’s satellite parliamentary group – European Socialists, and endorsed by the Georgian Dream itself.
The de facto leader of occupied Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, condemned Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement on supporting the “sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and democracy of Georgia.” The Armenian PM said this while responding to a question in a live broadcast on whether his country was ready to recognize Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region as Russia-occupied territories. Aslan Bzhania further claimed that the statement of the Armenian leadership was made under “Western” pressure, and it fundamentally contradicted the sovereignty of occupied Abkhazia.
The State Security Service reported on the illegal detention of three Georgian citizens by Russian occupation troops in the occupied Tskhinvali Region near the village of Adzvi. According to the State Security Service, the EUMM “hotline” was activated, and the information about the incident was immediately communicated to the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions and other international partners.
On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, international organizations, including the UN, the EU, the OSCE, and NATO, joined by various Embassies of foreign countries, issued a joint statement emphasizing that gender-based violence remains a critical problem in Georgia. “We call for action to end violence against women and girls in all its forms – from sexual harassment and abuse to child marriage and femicide,” reads a joint statement, further encouraging all stakeholders to work towards a future where women are empowered to participate fully and equally in economic, social and political life, without fear of violence or harassment.
