International partners criticize GD’s decision to withdraw from EU-initiated agreement
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Friday, July 30
Yesterday, the Georgian Dream chairman Irakli Kobakhidze announced at a press conference that the ruling party had decided to withdraw from the EU-mediated agreement of April 19. The decision of GD was followed by a massive backlash both in the country and on an international scale.
Leaders and representatives of Georgia's partners around the world showed concerns regarding the decision of the ruling party. Shortly after the announcement, seven American senators published a joint statement on GD's decision.
US Senators’ wrote that they are discouraged by the recent developments in the country, adding they undermined the efforts that were agreed upon on April 19.
“At this pivotal time in Georgia’s democratic development, it was all the more disappointing that Georgian Dream today announced its intention to unilaterally walk away from the April 19 agreement. It is largely incumbent upon the ruling party to set aside political differences and pursue an inclusive, multiparty parliamentary process that benefits all Georgians,” reads the statements of US Senators.
The Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jim Risch said that the GD party does not take the interests of the country into consideration and only cares about its own future.
The US Embassy also issued a statement critically assessing the decision of the ruling party. The statement reads that the US is deeply disturbed and exasperated by the decision of the ruling party.
“While we continue to press for all parties to sign and fully implement the agreement, Georgian Dream’s unilateral withdrawal is another deviation from the letter and spirit of the negotiations Georgian Dream participated in and the agreement they signed. This decision by the ruling party only creates more political instability for the country.”
The statement also reads that the decision raises questions about the commitment of the ruling party to achieving the democratic goals of the country, which were set by the GD itself. It also indicates that Washington is alarmed about the repeated setbacks to Georgia's democratic future.
MEP Viola von Cramon also took to Twitter to express her feelings about the GD decision. She visited Georgia yesterday to meet with NGOs, the opposition, as well as GD representatives to discuss the ongoing events.
Von Cramon expressed that she is ‘very disappointed over the decision made by the ruling party,’ and says that both sides, UNM and GD, are playing a terrible political game
The ruling team's decision was followed by a massive outcry in Georgia as well. Some of the opposition MPs announced that they would be leaving the parliament. One of them is Nika Melia, who was recently named as the US Mayor candidate by part of the opposition.
According to Melia, the Georgian Dream withdrew from the agreement because it was afraid of the document, according to which, if the ruling party fails to get 43% of the vote in the upcoming self-government elections, new parliamentary elections should be held in 2022.
The decision of the Georgian Dream to withdraw from the agreement was announced on Thursday, July 28.
