Today, November 28, the European Parliament will vote on a draft resolution that calls for sanctions to be put on Bidzina Ivanishvili and other leaders of the Georgian Dream ruling party.
The resolution, titled “Deepening democratic crisis in Georgia following the recent parliamentary elections and alleged electoral fraud,” also calls for targeted sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili.
“[The European Parliament] calls on the EU and its member states to impose personal sanctions against officials and political leaders in Georgia responsible for the democratic backsliding, violations of electoral legislation and standards, administrative violence and misuse of public institutions, including: Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Tbilisi Mayor and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party Kakha Kaladze, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Shalva Papuashvili and Chairman of the Georgian Dream party Irakli Garibashvili. And to extend these sanctions to judges who issue politically motivated verdicts.
“The EP once again, calls on the Council and the EU’s democratic partners to immediately impose targeted sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili personally and to freeze all his assets in the EU for his role in undermining the political process in Georgia and for his actions against the country’s constitutionally declared interests, including attempts to restore Russian influence in the country,” the European Parliament’s draft resolution states.
Furthermore, the draft resolution stresses that “respect for fundamental rights is vital for the fulfilment of the EU’s visa liberalization conditions and calls on the Commission and the Council to review Georgia’s visa-free status, with the possibility of suspending it if it is deemed that EU standards on democratic governance and freedoms are not being met.”
The draft resolution also calls for the immediate release of former President Mikheil Saakashvili on humanitarian grounds.
As noted in the draft resolution, Georgia, as a candidate country for EU membership, held parliamentary elections that did not meet international standards for democratic elections.
The draft resolution emphasizes that the elections once again revealed the country’s democratic backsliding, for which the ruling party bears full responsibility.
In addition, the authors of the draft resolution believe that due to the scale of the violations, legitimacy has been seriously undermined and the international community should not recognize the results of the elections.
“Accordingly, [the European Parliament] rejects any recognition of the parliamentary elections and calls on them [the Georgian government] to re-conduct the elections within one year in an improved electoral environment, by an independent and impartial election administration, under international observation, in order to ensure a truly fair and transparent electoral process,” the draft resolution states.
The draft resolution also supports an independent, transparent international investigation into the elections and welcomes the decision of the European External Action Service (EEAS) to send a technical mission to Georgia.
As the draft resolution states, the Georgian authorities are deliberately leading the country towards a domestic political crisis and international isolation from Georgia’s democratic partners.
The draft resolution calls on the EU to strictly limit official contacts at EU level with the Georgian government and parliament. It also stresses that “the policies pursued by the Georgian Dream are incompatible with Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration.”
It also calls on the Council, the Commission, the EEAS and the new High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to conduct a comprehensive review and revision of the EU’s policy towards Georgia.
It also calls on the Commission to use the frozen €120 million – originally intended for the Georgian authorities – to support Georgian civil society, in particular the non-governmental sector and independent media.
The draft resolution is accompanied by amendments from MEPs who support the Georgian Dream. One of these is the amendment by Danilo Della Valle, an Italian MEP from the Left Group in the European Parliament, who calls on all parties to respect the results of the 26 October elections and to work constructively, respecting the rule of law. It also calls on the EU to engage in a comprehensive and purposeful dialogue with the new Georgian government.
The amendment by Alexander Sell, a representative of the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN), notes that Georgia, as a sovereign state, has the right to adopt laws that reflect the democratic will of its citizens, even if such laws may affect the country’s EU accession process. He calls on the EU to “Respect Georgia’s legislative autonomy and ensure a dialogue based on mutual respect, without imposing external values.”
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