Brussels, April 18, 2021 (AFP)
The EU and US jointly called on lawmakers in Georgia to sign on to a compromise agreement to be proposed Sunday to resolve a protracted political crisis in the Caucasus country.
"The European Union and the United States call on all members of Georgia's parliament to sign the agreement that European Council President (Charles) Michel will propose today," the joint statement by spokespeople for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and the US State Department said.
The EU and US administrations did not provide a copy of the agreement they were pushing.
The fact, however, that they were showing a united front on the issue to the point of issuing a statement together underlined growing consultation between Brussels and Washington on regions skirting Russia's southern and western borders.
Georgia, an ex-Soviet country that sits to the east of Europe, has been in the grip of a crisis since parliamentary polls in October, which the opposition said were rigged to keep the ruling Georgian Dream party in power.
Opposition parties have demanded snap elections and refused to enter the newly elected parliament.
The crisis deepened in February with the arrest and trial of the leader of the main opposition grouping, Nika Melia, on accusations of fomenting violence during 2019 anti-government protests.
Georgia's prime minister resigned and thousands of opposition supporters rallied in the capital Tbilisi in February to protest Melia's arrest.
EU chief Michel has taken on a mediation role between Georgia's government and opposition to try to rein in the tensions and prevent a perceived backsliding on democracy commitments by the country.
The EU-US statement said the compromise agreement to be unveiled was one that all Georgian lawmakers would be able to sign on to "in good faith".
But it said they would need to demonstrate "courage" by backing it over partisan considerations.
The statement said the proposed reforms would bolster the independence of Georgia's judiciary, improve electoral processes and contribute to "a parliament that can better reflect the voices of all people of Georgia".
rmb/dl
Sumber : AFP
powered by: IPOTNEWS.COM
