Georgia: PACE welcomes progress but decides to continue the monitoring procedure

Adopting a resolution on the honouring of obligations and commitments by Georgia, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) yesterday welcomed “the significant efforts” made by the authorities in honouring their remaining obligations and the “considerable progress” achieved since the last monitoring report adopted in 2008, but decided to continue its monitoring procedure “pending further progress” on key issues.

While welcoming the initiatives taken by the authorities to overcome the polarisation and to strengthen the position and role of the opposition, the text underlines that the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections will be “the litmus test for the consolidation of a mature, more inclusive and robust democratic system”. From that perspective, it strongly recommends the adoption of an entirely new election code.

Following the proposals by the rapporteurs Kastriot Islami (Albania , SOC) and Michael Aastrup Jensen ( Denmark , ALDE), the parliamentarians welcomed the adoption of constitutional amendments which better guarantee the independence of the judiciary and “substantially strengthen the role and powers of the parliament”. However, they said, a number of provisions should still be further clarified, notably the procedure for adopting a motion of no-confidence in the government and the role of the President in negotiating international treaties.

The media environment in Georgia is still an example for the region, the text states, but underscores that “further efforts remain necessary to improve its transparency and pluralism”. The entry into force of the new Code of Criminal Procedure and the law on the Prosecution Service are welcomed, but there is concern about the problems of the administration of justice that “could endanger the principles of equal application of the law and the right to a fair trial”. The parliamentarians expressed “satisfaction with the ongoing efforts and clear political will to fight corruption”.

The adopted text reiterates its condemnation of the continuing human rights violations as a result of the 2008 war, including the grave violations of the principle of freedom of movement and right to return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of the occupation of the two breakaway regions.