EU Ambassador: Vetting Remains Open Issue
European Union Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński said that the EU sees “a need for integrity checks of top judges…with the participation of foreign experts” to ensure a “fully professional, fully independent judicial system in Georgia.” Ambassador Herczyński was asked to comment on the so-called “vetting” system, that Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili have declared a “closed” issue, and an issue that “contradicts the Constitution”.
Ambassador Herczyński also stressed that “fully independent, fully professional judicial system is one of the fundaments of every democracy” and therefore one of the priorities of the European Commission, adding that this is also included in the nine conditions set by the Commission for Georgia.
He also expressed readiness “to provide all the assistance, all the experience” that the European Commission has gained in working with other countries on the road to enlargement. According to the EU Ambassador, the judiciary remains an “open issue” in nine conditions, but “if there is a wish, I’m sure there will be a way,” he added, noting that the EU is ready to help Georgia address these issues.
“We want Georgia to be ready to become a member of the European Union. That would benefit the European Union, and that would benefit Georgia. This is why we need reforms,” EU Ambassador said.
Ambassador Herczyński also announced “several high-level visits involving EU institutions and involving also 27 EU member states to intensify dialogue” with Georgia. He stressed that the European Commission is “already in the process of drafting the enlargement report that will be published in October this year, again with recommendations from the European Commission to move forward to the next step or to wait.”
Ambassador Herczyński was also asked to comment on the Central Election Commission (CEC). He stressed that free and fair elections, as well as a free and fair electoral process, are “absolutely essential” for any democracy. He also stressed that the Venice Commission is an international standard-setter in this regard. The EU Ambassador said that the “law that has been today signed” contains “many” of the Venice Commission’s recommendations, but lamented that some of them were not taken into account.
[The EU ambassador was presumably referring to amendments to Georgia’s electoral code that changed the procedure for electing the chairman and impartial members of the CEC and eliminated the position of deputy chairman of the CEC, who was supposed to represent the opposition. The amendments were vetoed by the president, but her veto was overridden by the parliament. Finally, on March 25, the speaker of parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, signed the amendments into law.]
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