Parliament Speaker meets PACE co-rapporteurs

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili met Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) co-rapporteurs Edite Estrela and Sabina Ćudić.

According to the parliament’s press service, the Speaker welcomed the opportunity to meet with the PACE co-rapporteurs.

He noted that with the local elections held in October, another electoral cycle had concluded in Georgia, and active work would continue across various areas over the next three years, including significant legislative and institutional reforms.

Regarding cooperation with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Shalva Papuashvili stated that there is still no evidence of any so-called fraud in the 2024 parliamentary elections. Therefore, it remains unclear on what grounds the Assembly is demanding early elections in Georgia, as expressed in a resolution adopted earlier this year, which led to the suspension of the Georgian parliamentary delegation’s work in PACE.

According to the Speaker of Parliament, the local elections were conducted under the same conditions as the parliamentary elections. However, two opposition parties ended their boycott and participated in the elections. This fact also indirectly confirms that deliberately false accusations are being circulated regarding last year’s parliamentary vote.

The parties discussed the legislation enacted by the Parliament of Georgia. Shalva Papuashvili provided the co-rapporteurs with detailed information regarding the amendments made to the legislation. He also noted that the laws subject to critical scrutiny are currently under review by both the Constitutional Court of Georgia and the European Court of Human Rights. Therefore, rather than making political judgments, all parties should await the courts’ decisions.

The discussion also addressed Georgia’s plans for accession to the European Union. Shalva Papuashvili emphasised that efforts to fulfil the obligations outlined in the Association Agreement will continue.

The meeting also addressed the issue of the majority submitting a lawsuit to the Constitutional Court concerning the alleged unconstitutionality of three opposition parties.

Furthermore, Papuashvili emphasised that Georgia continues to be a committed member of the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly, underscoring the importance of the Assembly’s respect for the principles of sovereignty, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.

Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, also took part in the discussions.