The Daily Beat: 20 February
In his new capacity as Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze is paying his first official visit to Brussels, where he has already met with HR/VP Josep Borell, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and participated in the 8th meeting of the EU-Georgia Association Council. At a joint press conference held after the association council, HR/VP Josep Borell noted that the EU expects a significant increase in the level of Georgia’s alignment with the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy, urging Georgian authorities to “redouble efforts to combat information manipulation and foreign interference,” as well as finalize electoral reforms ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections.
In the third hearing, Parliament passed controversial amendments to the electoral code, altering the procedure for electing the Chairman and so-called professional members of the Central Election Commission. The amendments also abolish the post of the Deputy Chairman of the CEC, which is intended for the representative of the opposition. According to the new law, the Speaker, instead of the President, nominates the so-called professional members of the CEC. The opposition and civil society organizations suggest that these changes will only increase the political pressure on the CEC and undermine its independence. President Salome Zurabishvili claimed to veto the amendments.
The appointment of Irakli Kobakhidze as the prime minister triggered the reshuffle in the leadership of the ruling Georgian Dream party. At a party session held in the Georgian Dream head office, MP Mamuka Mdinaradze was elected as leader of the ruling party, replacing Irakli Kobakhidze in this position. At the same time, Rati Ionatamishvili succeeded Mamuka Mdinaradze as party whip. In addition, MP Nino Tsilosani, Chair of the Agrarian Issues Committee, is set to be nominated for Deputy Speaker, replacing Irakli Chikovani, who has become the new Defense Minister in Kobakhidze’s cabinet.
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) launched its Pre-Election Assessment Mission (PEAM), comprising a series of high-level meetings preceding the 2024 parliamentary elections to evaluate the electoral landscape in Georgia. The PEAM delegation held its first meeting with Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, discussing the pre-election climate, electoral legislation, and expectations of the ruling party regarding the upcoming elections. The Chairs of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Education, Science, and Youth Affairs Committee, Nikoloz Samkharadze and Givi Mikanadze, also attended the meeting.
Speaker Shalva Papuashvili demands an explanation of why the investigative article by “Mtis Ambebi” journalist Gela Mtivlishvili was among the finalists for the European Union Prize. Speaker Papuashvili believes that Mtivlishvili’s article is “full of lies” and that the EU should take responsibility for such material reaching the final of the EU competition. The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics reacted to Papuashvili’s accusations, noting that “with his comments on the EU prize, its jury members and nominees, he went beyond the Speaker’s mandate in a democratic country.” In October 2023, Gela Mtivlishvili penned an investigative article about the Shovi landslide, revealing the government’s failures in responding to the Shovi tragedy.
Local media outlets of occupied Abkhazia reported that the delegation of the North Korean Mangyongbong International Trade and Economic Development Corporation, led by its president Yun Kuk Nam, is visiting occupied Abkhazia, holding a meeting with the de facto prime minister Alexander Ankvab. According to local sources, de-facto authorities and the DPRK delegation discussed “cooperation” in the food industry, banking, tourism, and the possibility of opening “trade missions” in occupied Sokhumi and Pyongyang.
