Girchi considers to negotiate in exchange for judicial reform
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Tuesday, December 1
Opposition parties, which have already surpassed the 1% threshold in the first round of elections, have agreed to relinquish their parliamentary seats. All opposition parties say the election was rigged and the result does not reflect the will of the electorate. They demand the resignation of the CEC chairperson Tamar Zhvania, the change of the election legislation, and the re-election under the new election administration. The only condition for the Georgian Dream to reach an agreement is for the opposition to recognize the current election results.
With the involvement of international facilitators, the second round of talks between the opposition and the government took place on 14 November, the EU and US ambassadors also held individual meetings with opposition leaders in the next days, including yesterday.
It is still unknown when the third round of talks between the opposition and the Georgian Dream will take place. Opponents of the government say they are waiting for a proposal from the ruling team to reach a consensus. In this regard, the leader of the Girchi party, Zurab Japaridze announced that his party is willing to enter the parliament in exchange for judicial reform.
"If the government refuses to hold early elections, but agrees to the reform of the judiciary, which we have negotiated with the opposition, I would agree to stop the boycott."
According to Japaridze, the alternative to early elections to end the boycott should be substantial enough. He considers such a compromise to be the judicial reform- since the court is one of the main pillars for the Georgian Dream, it would mean them giving up power.
Iago Khvichia, one of the leaders of the Girchi clarified that the judicial reform, on which an agreement was reached within the opposition, means the election of judges, police chiefs, as well as the selection of prosecutor by a victim, the abolition of the State Security Service and the transfer of its functions to other agencies. At the same time, Khvichia notes that the Georgian Dream has no desire to give up their 'clan' in the Court.
Representatives of the opposition and the Georgian Dream responded to Japaridze's statement.
Levan Tarkhnishvili, a member of European Georgia, believes that the only solution is new elections, a reform of the judiciary is not sufficient. According to him, there is no sign that the Georgian Dream is going to propose such a thing, and even if they did, they are not to be trusted, because "they did not fulfill any of the promises made."
According to Khatia Dekanoidze, a member of the United National Movement, it seems unrealistic for the government to give up important levers of the justice system.
Ana Natsvlishvili, representative of Lelo for Georgia said that reform of the judiciary is a very important and precious topic for the future of the country, but such a thing is not considered on the common opposition table. According to her, the demands of the opposition are new, transparent elections under the new election administration and the release of political prisoners.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, a member of the Georgian Dream electoral list, responded that the justice reform would continue in any case. According to him, several waves of justice reform have already taken place, as well as a change in the rule of a selection of judges of the Supreme Court. “Reform is an ongoing process and will continue anyway, whether they enter the parliament or not,” Samkharadze said.
Giorgi Amilakhvari, a member of the ruling party, says that the judiciary is independent under this government and that discussions on future reforms should continue in the Parliament.
