Georgian Charter: President Unveils Unified Action Plan

"You are now waiting for concrete plans. It is my duty, as I am aware of this responsibility, to respond to this great expectation and to chart a path that will lead us both to ourselves and to Europe. This path is the path of elections. We should reach the elections on October 26 peacefully, with peace and stability. We must come as mobilized as before, while also being careful to maintain this peace and stability.

Many people today may not see the winning formula or know which power to trust with these expectations. I understand that many people do not believe in pre-election promises; politicians have largely lost their trust. This is nobody's fault. It is precisely because of our past. Nevertheless, this is not the time to give in to nihilism, greed, and individual political ambitions," said the President.

Salome Zourabichvili proposes that all political parties ready to fulfill the obligations outlined in the Georgian Charter sign it in the next parliament, emphasizing that "this is not an empty promise."

"A new political reality must be created to fulfill this charter and restore trust. For this, we need a different kind of unity, a different kind of parliament, a different kind of election, and a different kind of government!

A Different Kind of Unity

"This is unity without union! Unity solely around this charter and for its implementation - that is, around the European future," the president explained. She emphasized that agreement around this charter neither requires nor implies a single list or any other necessary political associations.

"Political parties should decide their election tactics and strategies after signing this joint charter - it's not up to me.

A Different Kind of Election

"Today's political situation and electoral environment do not allow for ordinary elections, where everyone can present their face, program, and personality.

In this election, we must decide not who we vote for, but what we vote for. That is why these elections will effectively be a popular referendum - a referendum to answer the question: Do we want Europe? When we vote for any of the parties that signed the Charter, we are actually voting for the Georgian Charter and a European future!

A Different Kind of Parliament

This parliament will be elected for a specific term and tasked with fulfilling a particular European plan. It must fulfill its obligations under the charter. Subsequently, it will return the mandate to the voters and conduct extraordinary parliamentary elections in a new, free environment.

This short-term mandate carries numerous risks, including concerns among the electorate that any force might be tempted to remain in power indefinitely, as we have witnessed.

A Different Kind of Government

This will be a wholly new government model. It will not comprise political parties but rather professionals selected from society. The government formation process will be coordinated with the president.

It is a path that is peaceful, purposeful, effective, and profoundly European. The Georgian people will make their decision through democratic elections, safeguarding us from any destabilization and perilous confrontation. Dissenting opinions should be expressed at the polling station and nowhere else, in any other form. This plan represents our peaceful resolution, and I bear responsibility for safeguarding this path to rejoining Europe. Simultaneously, this plan will align us with the advantages offered by our strategic ally, USA, today. This signifies our return to the foreign policy as announced and guaranteed by our constitution," the president said, informing the public about the reforms outlined in the Georgian Charter:

1. Repeal of laws detrimental to the European trajectory of the nation.

We will promptly annul all laws that run counter to the European Path and recommendations. Specifically, the law "On transparency of foreign influence," known as the Russian Law, amendments to the Election Code, the laws concerning wiretapping and offshore activities, among others.

Also, we will dismiss politically motivated cases against participants of the 2024 protests, and amnesty will be granted.

2. Liberating the justice system and rebuilding trust.

Freeing the court - We will liberate the judiciary from clan influence by scrutinizing judges' integrity and the source of unaccounted-for assets. This examination will encompass all judges whose politically driven rulings have eroded trust in the judiciary and besmirched its reputation. It will extend to all members of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Council of Justice, the Supreme Court, as well as the presiding judges of the Court of Appeal and the City Court. The scrutiny will also apply to all newly appointed judges. New judges will be introduced to alleviate the backlog of cases and prevent delays in case hearings. The electronic case distribution system in the courts will be fully implemented to eliminate political interference in case allocation. Judges will be ineligible for administrative positions beyond their initial term. We will fortify the authority of the jury court and broaden its jurisdiction to encompass cases of significant public interest.

The fundamental reform of the Supreme Council of Justice will entail the reduction of excessive powers. Specifically, the following changes will occur: the authority to conduct disciplinary proceedings, which serves as a tool for prosecuting judges, will be revoked; the right to elect chairpersons of administrative bodies will be eliminated; The School of Justice will operate independently from the Council. The process of selecting judges for the Supreme Court will be overhauled: the council will assess candidates solely based on criteria outlined in the constitution and present a comprehensive list to parliament for selection. Council members will be prohibited from holding additional administrative positions and from being eligible for reselection. Non-judge members will have an influence on significant decisions within the Council.

3. Other priority reform steps include:

Prosecutor's Office - The Prosecutor General will be elected with a high quorum and limited to one term only. The Prosecutor's Council will be strengthened.

SSS/MIA - A fundamental overhaul of the State Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs will be implemented to decentralize power. Robust parliamentary oversight will be established to ensure each agency's activities are shielded from political interference.

Special Investigation Service - We will enhance and grant genuine independence to safeguard citizens' rights in cases involving law enforcement violence.

Anti-corruption agency - We will detach it from the executive branch and empower it substantially. Primarily, we will endow it with investigative authority over corruption cases. The agency's head will be elected by the Parliament of Georgia and will be accountable to the Parliament.

National Bank - We will reinstate its independence by increasing the number of board members and maintaining a balance between executive and non-executive members. Individual decision-making will be precluded. Any directive issued by the head of the National Bank that contradicts Georgia's international obligations will be nullified.

Regulatory bodies - We will liberate them from political influence and democratically appoint independent heads.

4. Enhancing the electoral system - adequate conditions will be established to ensure fair and transparent elections: The process for electing the chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and appointing its members will be refined. The electoral threshold will be reduced, allowing for the restoration of bloc creation. Additionally, the financing procedure for political parties will be reassessed, and provisions will be made to enable the diaspora to participate in election

Creating a New Political Reality

We, the signatories of this charter, who will receive a mandate from the Georgian people in the elections of October 26, 2024, undertake and pledge to fulfill the conditions outlined in this charter before the conclusion of the first spring session. Upon completion, early parliamentary elections will be prepared and conducted under free and fair conditions.

Also, we commit that the government tasked with executing this action plan will be nominated by the President of Georgia," the charter states.

Salome Zourabichvili reiterated her offer of this plan to political parties, specifically those with the aspiration to be pro-European and pro-Western. They must make a decision by June 1 whether to accept "this formidable responsibility to the Georgian people, to undertake and fulfill these steps."