“Today’s format is imperative not only owning to the fact that it is one of the requests of the EU to ensure maximal dialogue between the authorities and NGOs but also it is crucial for the country to hold discussions on all the issues concerning the development of our country”, – Parliamentary Majority Leader, Irakli Kobakhidze stated at the Conference “Georgia’s Road to the European Union.”
He congratulated the attendees on a positive decision made by the European Commission: “It is paramount that the European Commission issued a positive recommendation on granting the EU candidate status to Georgia. We do hope that the Council will endorse it and make a final decision in three weeks. It is as well important for the mitigation of polarization in the country. Naturally, we are devoid of the illusions that it will end polarization, however, we believe that granting the EU candidacy will play a significant role in reducing polarization, which is of particular importance in the pre-electoral period. We have the parliamentary elections upcoming in less than a year and it is paramount to hold it in a more or less peaceful milieu”.
“Georgia submitted the application for the EU candidacy 20 months ago and starting from March 3, 2022, wide-scale preparations have been held. It was truly complicated 20 months. We restarted the development of the documents to enclose to the application, then we were exposed to a really appalling decision in June, which entailed turmoil among society and the Government. This was a grave decision, similar to the fact that it was resorted to the attempts to change the government and we all remember the processes unfolding in June after the decision of the European Council. For all this period, we had to counter the negative campaigns about the EU candidacy.”
Now, it is imperative to receive a positive decision made by the European Commission since it is high time to brush our past aside and aspire to the future.
A key priority today is compliance with those 9 paragraphs set out by the EU, and identically upon compliance with 12-paragraph recommendations, we are developing the action plan for the fulfillment of nine priorities of the European Commission. We have already held the communication between the government and the European Commission and a respective action plan will be submitted to the European Commission next week,” he stated.
Kobakhidze made assessments of 9 recommendations: “Countering disinformation is tie one priority. Naturally, disinformation in general poses an acute problem not only in regards to the EU but as we know, Georgia has adopted too liberal legislation on freedom of speech, which on the one hand, is a benefit but on the other hand, opens a wide way for disinformation. And deriving from the legislation and in terms of curbing disinformation, our resources are, to a high extent, limited, though, we do all in our power within the legal norms to eradicate that form of disinformation, which is directed against the EU and its values. The second priority implies coevality with the EU foreign and security policy. In this aspect, we encounter specific challenges associated with the non-recognition policy and certain arguments about certain issues. However, in any case, the government will spare no effort to increase the percentage of the concurrence. Several decisions have been made in the last weeks, the consultations are being held to maximally approach the high coincidence point.
“As for the political polarization, the recommendation is basically connected to close cooperation with the opposition parties. We do our best and have already made public statements about the open processes. We unfortunately remember the appalling facts when the Speaker set up working groups on 12 recommendations, declined by the largest opposition union to get engaged. We hope it will not replicate regarding 9 priorities.
As for the electoral process, it is already of high priority even beyond the priorities. Holding free and competitive elections is attributed to our interests. It is as well paramount to have the elections observed by international missions, OSCE/ODHIR observers and the more observers in the pre-electoral period, the better it will be for the transparency of the process. The recommendation provides the accomplishment of the electoral reforms and we intend to develop certain legal initiatives and reflect them in the action plan.
In view of further intensification of parliamentary oversight, we have significantly improved the legislation. The New Constitution grants wide capacity to the parliamentary subjects to ensure parliamentary oversight, including of the security structures. Now, it is imperative to reflect all these aspects in practice and when we speak about practice, the central emphasis may be placed on the opposition since parliamentary oversight is the leverage of the opposition first of all, which they may effectively apply, including all other instruments guaranteed under the Constitution. We are committed to starting the consultations with the opposition,” he went on.
Speaking about the judicial reform, he noted that the process undergoes, though it is necessary to specify what the fundamental reform of the Council of Justice implies.“
As for the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Special Investigation Service, and the Personal Data Protection Service and their efficiency and institutional independence, we expect the Venice Commission recommendations and opinion to be issued on December 15 and as soon as we have these documents, we will resume our activity. Besides, we shall ensure the monitoring of these institutions and the engagement of NGOs. As for the de-oligarchization, we develop the final action plan and prior to its endorsement, we intend to hold consultations with the civil sector. I don’t cherish the idea that the de-oligarchization action plan or any other document, even the law that we have developed on the basis of the personalized approach can solve this problem in our country. There are oligarchs in Georgia, who are involved in some processes but I doubt that the action plan will have any impact.
And the last, ninth priority, which is concerning human rights. The strategy has already been ratified and the action plan is being developed. The Government is to soon resume the process. The priority also includes the investigations and punishment of the organizers of the crime of July 5, which, to an essential extent, is a legal matter and we can hardly be represented as a party to it since the party shall be a respective investigation service – Interior Ministry or the Prosecutor’s Office and these are the agencies that the discussions shall be held with about how the offenders were subject to the penalty as organizers. As for the consultations with civil society, today’s format is very important and I hope to further keep intensive activity to discuss all the issues concerning the fulfillment of 9 priorities and the EU approximation process,” he added.
