In Strasbourg, at the 50th session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the draft resolution on Georgia presented by Stewart Dickson received a sharp response from the Georgian delegation.
The delegation members participating in the session — Zurab Abashidze, Chairperson of the Tbilisi City Assembly, and Nino Vardosanidze, Deputy Head of the Delegation and Chairperson of the Legal Issues and Human Rights Protection Commission of the Tbilisi City Assembly — assessed the evaluations reflected in the document as inconsistent with reality and politically biased.
During the debates, Zurab Abashidze focused on the existing political dialogue and the electoral environment in the country. According to the delegate, the ruling team constantly emphasizes the need to maintain constructive discussion and believes that the intensified dialogue with civil society and opposition parties in recent periods should be evaluated as a positive step. The deputy stated that dialogue is the only correct path toward the depolarization of society.
Zurab Abashidze also responded to the opposition’s accusations regarding the delayed invitation of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) mission. He explained that the official request was sent within realistic timeframes and in full compliance with international practice.
“International observers involved in the elections highlighted the high standard of organization of the voting process. Their assessments confirm that the polling took place without hindrance, without incidents, and in full compliance with democratic standards. We expected that the presented report would, at least in one sentence, condemn the violence we witnessed on 4 October immediately after the elections ended. Opposition parties had announced the violent overthrow of the government a month before the elections. We expected that double standards would not be applied and that this violence would be condemned with the same spirit as European political leaders usually condemn violence in their own countries and territories,” stated Zurab Abashidze.
For her part, Nino Vardosanidze assessed the substantive part of the resolution as non-objective. According to the deputy, the document relies on the conclusions of the organization ISFED, which has a history of manipulating vote counts. The delegate also noted that referring to the storming of state institutions as a “peaceful protest” and recognizing fireworks as a symbol of protest testifies to the absurdity of the document.
“The Government of Georgia, as well as the Georgian people, will respond adequately to such irresponsible statements. The absolute majority of the country’s population correctly evaluates the past and makes a reasonable choice for the future. In reality, everyone knows well that free, fair, and competitive elections were held in Georgia, which fully reflected the will of the Georgian people. They voted for peace, sovereignty, and progress, and they stand firmly by this choice,” noted Nino Vardosanidze.
According to the Deputy Head of the Delegation, in a difficult geopolitical environment, between two ongoing wars, the Government of Georgia acts with maximum caution to maintain peace, effectively copes with challenges so far, and ensures the country’s stability. She added that unity around peace and progress is important, as representatives of local authorities better understand the significance of development and well-being for any country and society.
It should be noted that one of the important parts of the agenda of the 50th session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe was dedicated to discussing the state of local democracy in Georgia. In particular, the delegates heard a report by Stewart Dickson, which is based on the findings of the fact-finding mission carried out in Georgia on 24-25 September 2025. The document includes texts of recommendations and a resolution, on which thematic debates and voting took place.
In the 50th session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the following members of the Georgian delegation also participated: Gogi Putkaradze, member of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara; Beka Vachadze, Mayor of the Poti Municipality; Bela Mosia, member of the Zugdidi Municipal Assembly; Tamar Khachidze, member of the Gardabani Municipal Assembly; Varlam Tsiklauri, Mayor of Akhaltsikhe Municipality; and Tekla Meburishvili, member of the Kutaisi Municipal Assembly.
Alongside the issue of Georgia, the Georgian delegates took part in discussions on such pressing topics as the Russian Federation’s aggressive war against Ukraine, the protection of social rights, the prevention of violence against elected officials, the involvement of youth at the local level, and the role of artificial intelligence in municipal governance.