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Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees and European Union Affairs Committees underlined in the Statement that their solidarity belonged to the many committed Europeans in Georgia who shared our values, and strived for freedom, democracy and the rule of law. They remain convinced that Georgia deserves a place in the very heart of a united Europe. “But these elections were neither free nor fair. The political climate in the run-up to the elections was incompatible with European standards of fairness. Candidates were intimidated and threatened, state power was abused, votes were bought. The reports of the international election observer missions clearly confirm this. There is therefore considerable election fraud also through intimidation and vote buying on election day,” they say.
According to the Statement, this election was about Europe or isolation, democracy or authoritarianism, freedom or Russification. “Obviously, during the election campaign it did not become clear enough that there can be no continuation of the EU rapprochement with the ruling party and its policies. The policy of the Georgian Dream is simply incompatible with the EU,” the parliamentarians pointed out. “The perfidious campaign of fear of a “global war party” that makes Georgia a second Ukraine, fell on fertile ground. There is only one “global war party”, you should call it by name. Its name is Russia.”
The parliamentarians think that against this background, the European Union cannot recognise the result. “We demand personal sanctions against those responsible for unfair electoral influence, intimidation and threats against the opposition and civil society,” they say in the Joint Statement.
At the same time they also pointed out that despite these massive disappointments, the pro-European parts of society must not be abandoned. “We should even strengthen civil society exchanges. We reject a collective punishment such as the suspension of visa liberalisation at this time. However, we fear an exodus of the well-educated, pro-European youth. Although we welcome you to the EU, it would be a tragedy for Georgia’s European orientation,” the parliamentarians said.
They also expressed concern about a “Belarusification” of the country. “If the ruling party and its leader follow their announcements with actions, there is a threat of persecution and prohibition of the opposition, independent media and critical non-governmental organisations. The EU must make it clear to the governing party that it will not accept this and in this case a complete termination of relations will follow,” the parliamentarians underlined in the Joint Statement.
They assured that they continued to strongly support the efforts of President Salome Zurabishvili to unite the country, to defend democracy, freedom and the rule of law and to preserve and secure the European future of Georgia.
In addition to Mihkelson, 11 parliamentarians from the European Parliament and the parliaments of Canada, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine signed the Statement.
Joint Statement in Estonian and in English
Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: Estonian and Allied parliamentarians: EU cannot recognise Georgia’s election results
Source: Parliament of Estonia