The Georgian delegation and other PACE members have prepared certain amendments regarding the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s Monitoring Committee draft report “Challenge, on substantive grounds, of the still unratified credentials of the parliamentary delegation of Georgia”.
Specifically, the original version of the project stated:
“7.3 An inclusive political process in Georgia involving all stakeholders and social actors, including opposition and civil society, to urgently address the deficiencies and shortcomings noted during the recent parliamentary elections”.
The amendment reads: “The organization of new genuinely democratic elections, held under strict international monitoring and conditions of political independence of State institutions and election administration”.
This amendment was tabled by: Boriana Åberg, Gustaf Götberg, Marcus Wiechel, Michael Rubbestad, Sam Rushworth, Lord Michael German, Cat Eccles, and Jessica Stegrud.
Additionally, the project prepared by the Monitoring Committee communicates: “11. In the light of these considerations and as a signal of its own openness to maintaining dialogue, the Assembly, pending a reconsideration of the Georgian delegation’s credentials and an overall re-assessment of the situation in the country at its April 2025 part-session, decides to ratify at this part-session the credentials of the Georgian delegation while, at the same time, insisting that the Georgian authorities”.
Based on the amendment, tabled by Givi Mikanadze, Eka Sepashvili, Mariam Lashkhi, Zviad Shalamberidze, Rati Ionatamishvili, Levan Machavariani, Clement Shopov, Ruben Rubinyan, Armen Rustamyan, Iskra Mihaylova, paragraph 11 of the draft resolution should be replaced with the following paragraph: “The Assembly resolves to ratify the credentials of the Georgian delegation.”
Amendment 4: If adopted, amendments 6, 2 falls. Falls if amendment 7 is adopted.
Meanwhile, the explanatory note states: “There are no legal grounds for organizing new elections in Georgia. The amendment proposes the ratification of the credentials and continuation of the reforms of the legislative framework for the next elections.”
Amendment 7, tabled by Sir Christopher Chope, Lord George Foulkes, Lord Michael German, Cat Eccles, Lord Richard Keen, Perran Moon, Dan Aldridge, Lindsey Farnsworth, Leigh Ingham, Oleksii Goncharenko, Lord Don Touhig.
In the draft resolution, paragraph 11, after the words “In the light of these considerations” delete the remainder of the paragraph and insert the following words:
“The Assembly resolves not to ratify the credentials of the Georgian Delegation”.
If adopted, amendments 4,6,2 become void.
Yesterday’s version of the draft report stated: “11.1 immediately initiate an inclusive process involving all stakeholders and social actors, including the ruling majority, opposition and civil society, to urgently address the deficiencies and shortcomings noted during the recent parliamentary elections and to create an electoral environment that is conducive to genuinely democratic new elections announced during the coming months.”
Falls if amendments 7, 4 are adopted.
According to the amendment, in the draft resolution, paragraph 11.1, replace the words “announced during the coming months” with the following words:
“to be announced during the coming months”
Tabled by: Eerik-Niiles Kross, Kadri Tali, Oleksii Goncharenko, Petri Honkonen, Oleksandr Merezhko, Hanna Lahe, Martynas Gedvilas, Rian Vogels.
“11.7 Continue to engage fully with the Assembly’s monitoring procedure.
Amendment 2: Tabled by: Yelyzaveta Yasko, George Papandreou, Maria Mezentseva-Fedorenko, Emanuelis Zingeris, Pablo Hispan.
Becomes void if amendments 7, 4 are adopted.
In the draft resolution, at the end of paragraph 11.7, insert the following words:
“and work to ensure that monitoring mechanisms function effectively during the pre-election period, thereby strengthening timely warnings against any democratic decline”.
The original version of the project states: “12. At the same time, as a clear sign of its condemnation of the police brutality and other human rights abuses, which so far have not been addressed by the authorities, the Assembly resolves to suspend the following rights of the members of the Georgian delegation.”
Based on Amendment 5, tabled by: “Givi Mikanadze, Eka Sepashvili, Mariam Lashkhi, Zviad Shalamberidze, Rati Ionatamishvili, Levan Machavariani, Ruben Rubinyan, Armen Rustamyan, Jemaletin Kan Torun, Abdurrahman Babacan, Iskra Mihaylova, Clement Shopov,” paragraph 12 of the resolution draft shall be replaced with the following paragraphs:
“Furthermore, the Assembly calls on the Georgian authorities to: 12.1. take immediate and effective steps to enable Georgia to continue the EU accession process, in line with the European aspirations of the people, and to accelerate with determination the necessary reforms; 12.2. step up cooperation with the Council of Europe and engage in good faith in the process initiated by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe; 12.3. continue to engage fully with the Assembly’s monitoring procedures.”
Explanatory note – The amendment proposes the readiness of the Georgian Authorities to sustain good cooperation with the Council of Europe institutions.
Based on the initial version, the draft stated: “The Assembly will have the opportunity to reconsider the credentials of the Georgian delegation, including the suspension of the above-mentioned rights, at its April 2025 part-session, in the light of progress achieved in relation to the issues mentioned in paragraph 11, under the conditions provided for in Rule 9 of its Rules of Procedure.”
Amendment 3, “In the draft resolution, delete paragraph 14” was tabled by: Givi Mikanadze, Eka Sepashvili, Mariam Lashkhi, Zviad Shalamberidze, Levan Machavariani, Rati Ionatamishvili, Clement Shopov, Ruben Rubinyan, Armen Rustamyan, Iskra Mihaylova, Yildirim Tugrul Türkeş.
Related story: PACE Monitoring Committee suggests ratifying Georgian delegation’s credentials under several conditions
