The British Embassy in Georgia has responded to today's parliamentary session, expressing concern over the uninvestigated violations that were uncovered during the elections.
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“We note the convening of the Georgian Parliament today. We continue to have serious concerns about election violations, which have not yet been investigated in a thorough or independent fashion.
We call on the Georgian Government to implement the recommendations of the ODIHR monitoring mission once its final report is issued. We share ODIHR’s call for the authorities to facilitate peaceful protest and engage in dialogue,” the letter reads.
Representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Georgia, as well as ambassadors, did not attend the first session of the 11th convocation of Parliament held on November 25. According to the Georgian Dream party, they were not invited.
The Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, explained that the day was dedicated to citizens and "their elected parliament." He added, "We have the unfortunate experience of the instrumentalization of foreign participation in Georgian politics. To avoid inappropriate interference in internal political matters, it is important for Parliament to adopt this general approach."
The leader of the parliamentary majority, Mamuka Mdinaradze, stated that by not inviting the diplomats, "many issues" were resolved, "including internal inconveniences."
Mdinaradze further remarked, "Relations with some of them are not fully settled. We avoided giving them leverage that could lead to speculation or positioning on opposing sides."
At today's meeting, Georgian Dream recognized the authority of all 150 members of Parliament. With 88 votes and no opposition, Shalva Papuashvili was re-elected as Speaker of Parliament, while Giorgi Volski, Tea Tsulukiani, and Nino Tsilosani were elected as his deputies.
The session, attended exclusively by members of Georgian Dream, took place against the backdrop of ongoing protests in front of Parliament.
As per the constitution, the president is responsible for convening the first session of a newly elected Parliament. However, Salome Zourabichvili did not do so. Instead, she challenged the results of the parliamentary elections and, consequently, the legality of all 150 members' election in the Constitutional Court.
Constitutional experts argue that Parliament had no legal right to recognize the authority of individuals whose election is being contested in the Constitutional Court. They consider this and other decisions made by Parliament to be unlawful.
