Georgian Delegation Responds to Statements from the Bureau of the Congress of the Council of Europe

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A meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Congress of the Council of Europe was held in Strasbourg, attended by the Head of the Georgian Delegation and Deputy Chairman of the Tbilisi City Assembly, Zurab Abashidze, along with the Vice-President of NALAG and Chairman of the Tbilisi City Assembly, Giorgi Tkemaladze, and Tbilisi City Assembly member Otar Grigolia.

During the session, which included discussions on recent developments in Georgia, members of the Georgian delegation delivered speeches.

Zurab Abashidze and Otar Grigolia addressed the statement issued by the Congress Bureau, which called for repeat elections and the postponement of local elections.

“The call of the Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe for new elections in Georgia contradicts the democratic choice of the Georgian people. The will expressed through democratic elections is the constitutional right of the Georgian people and should up fordiscussion. Especially not without any evidence. Our international partners should be guided not by perceptions, but by real facts. Please believe in facts and not subjective perceptions,” said Zurab Abashidze.

In his speech, Zurab Abashidze also addressed the media environment, stating that Georgia’s media landscape is truly diverse and free, with numerous opposition media outlets operating in the country.

Otar Grigolia emphasized that the recommendation to postpone elections in Georgia exceeds the mandate of the Congress and undermines the country’s constitution and sovereignty.

According to Grigolia, the scheduling of local elections in Georgia is determined by the constitution, and they will be held as planned. He also stressed that the Georgian government is legitimately elected and that no one has the right to question the election results.

“During the protests, which the opposition parties and you describe as peaceful, police officers were injured by the demonstrator’s use of pyrotechnics by the protesters. In addition, the protestors damaged public infrastructure. There were violent actions against state institutions, law enforcement officers, and public infrastructure, which threatening the constitutional order of Georgia and the safety of its citizens. Therefore, we are deeply concerned that the the Monitoring Committee of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has labelled violent groups as “peaceful protestors,” said Otar Grigolia.