The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is concerned about the decision of Georgia's ruling majority to appeal to the Constitutional Court regarding the ban on three of the four democratic opposition parties. The co-rapporteurs intend to conduct a fact-finding mission to Tbilisi by the end of the year, UNN reports with reference to PACE.
Details
PACE co-rapporteurs for monitoring from Georgia, Edith Estrela (Portugal, SOC) and Sabina Čudić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, ALDE), expressed deep concern about the ruling majority's decision to appeal to the Constitutional Court regarding the ban on three of the four democratic opposition parties.
"As emphasized by the Assembly in its recent resolution on supporting democracy and the rule of law in Georgia, banning democratic opposition would effectively establish a one-party dictatorship and would be incompatible with membership in the Council of Europe," said the co-rapporteurs, who therefore called on the ruling majority to reconsider its appeal and stop the country's rapid departure from democracy.
The co-rapporteurs intend to conduct a fact-finding mission to Tbilisi by the end of the year.
Earlier
In early October, PACE adopted a resolution with unprecedentedly harsh criticism of the Georgian authorities and a warning of possible exclusion. The Assembly for the first time called on member states to consider filing interstate complaints against Georgia with the European Court of Human Rights – a mechanism previously used on the eve of Russia's exclusion from the Council of Europe.
According to "News Georgia", official Tbilisi responded by stating unfair treatment and reminded that due to this, Georgia itself announced the cessation of work in PACE in January of this year. The ruling party has not yet commented on the upcoming visit of the co-rapporteurs to Georgia. There is a possibility that officials will refuse to meet.