President: Despite the Occupation We Build Democracy
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, May 17
The Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili stated at the third congress of the Association of Constitutional Justice of the Countries of the Baltic and Black Sea Regions (BBCJ) in Tbilisi on Wednesday that despite the Russian occupation, Georgia is developing as a democratic state.
"Our country faces challenges because we are a partially occupied country which has its outcomes in political, economic or human point of view. Despite this, our society has been building a democratic and European state for 27 years,” Margvelashvili said.
He spoke about the role of the Constitutional Court of Georgia in the development of the state and said that the decisions of the Constitutional Court are in line with the modern European context and contribute to the development of the country.
Margvelashvili stated that the Georgian nation has a “wonderful past” in terms of the constitution.
"The Georgian people have chosen European governance very unambiguously and despite the tradition of the monarchy, we constructed a republic.
“Georgia has drafted the constitution, which makes us proud today. It was a constitution that was one of the most progressive documents, recognized women's rights, abolished death penalty, secured independence of the branches of government, etc.," the President said.
The Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said at the opening ceremony of the congress that the Georgian court system is a full-fledged member of European family despite the fact that it is considered among the courts of young democracies.
“The constitutional court of Georgia has a very important role in establishing the legal culture and civil values in the society. Our state political system is focused to create all the preconditions to ensure that every judge is free. With this purpose we actively work with the Constitutional Court to ensure its enforcement,” PM Kvirikashvili said adding that the amended constitution guarantees democratic development and accordance with the best European practice.
“As a result of the amendments we now have a complete constitution ensuring stability and pluralism in the country, as well as providing a balanced and clear distribution of responsibility between the different parts of the government,” PM Kvirikashvili added.
Since January 1st, 2018 the BBCJ is chaired for a one-year term by the Constitutional Court of Georgia.
The association aims to promote the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the independence of constitutional courts, implementing rule of law principles, and enhancing the exchange of experience between its members.
