Opposition to PACE: Do Not Verify Georgian Dream MP Credentials

On January 5, three opposition political forces, Coalition for Change, Unity-UNM, and Strong Georgia, sent a joint letter to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Theodoros Rousopoulos, and the heads of political groupings of the Assembly, requesting that the credentials of the Georgian parliamentary delegation not be verified. The 2025 Plenary Session is scheduled to open on January 27.

The signatory leaders recall the “deeply flawed” October 26 elections and the ongoing political crisis in the country as the grounds for refusal to recognize the newly elected MP’s credentials. They are citing Rule 8.2 of the Assembly Rules of Procedure, which says the credentials can be challenged in case of “the serious violation of the basic principles of the Council of Europe” or a “persistent failure to honor obligations and commitments.”

In their letter, the opposition representatives argued that “the scale and intensity of falsification mechanisms used by the Georgian Dream fundamentally undermined the credibility of the electoral process, eroded public trust towards its results, and grossly violated fundamental principles of free and fair elections.” They emphasize that the current parliament, consisting solely of Georgian Dream MPs, “cannot be considered as legitimately elected.”

The appeal also raised concerns about potential Georgian delegation members being “subject to existing or forthcoming international sanctions,” specifically mentioning Bidzina Ivanishvili, who they claim is “responsible for democratic backsliding, electoral fraud, state-sponsored terror, mass human rights violations, and the persecution of political opponents and activists.”

The opposition parties warned that Georgian Dream “cannot be a trustworthy partner as it repeatedly violated previously agreed commitments.” They urged PACE to take a “principled stance” in “safeguarding democratic values in Georgia,” arguing that new elections and the release of detained protesters are “the only way, the European way, to resolve the current severe crisis.”

Also Read:

• 05/01/2025 – Opposition Demands OSCE PA President to Condition Georgia Visit
• 10/12/2024 – PACE Rapporteurs Condemn Politically Motivated Arrests, Police Violence
• 29/11/2024 – PACE Election Observation Report Questions Whether the Election Results “Truly Reflect the will of the Voters”
  
  

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