Two More US Senators Send Letter to Georgia's PM

US Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, sent a letter to Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia on January 29, in which they expressed “concern over recent events that indicate a backsliding from Georgia’s commitment to building the institutions of their democracy.”

“We write to express our deep concern with recent developments in Georgia. In the 29 years since Georgia's independence from the Soviet Union, we have watched democracy take root, the economy grow, civil society flourish, and governance improve dramatically. Georgia's commitment to a peaceful transition of power and consensus-based politics has been an impressive example in your region. We both observed the 2012 parliamentary elections and were impressed with how Georgia had embraced these core tenets of democracy. For decades now, the United States has been eager to support Georgia as it developed.

"However, we are increasingly concerned by recent events that indicate a weakening of Georgian democracy and governance. Two of the most pressing matters are Parliament's failure to uphold its commitment to electoral reform and the government's violent suppression of peaceful protests. We understand that the promised electoral reform was expected to give proportional representation to Georgian voters to ensure the system did not unduly favor any one political party. Your government's decision to prevent that change indicates a backsliding from commitments to build the institutions of Georgia's democracy. Furthermore, the massive yet peaceful protests that followed are a visible sign that there is dissatisfaction with this failure. The government's violent suppression of these protests is a violation of Georgians' democratic rights and of the government's duty to protect its citizens.

"In addition, the recent political targeting of opposition leaders through both formal and informal methods is further evidence of Georgia's democratic backsliding. Reports that opposition leaders have been physically assaulted or harassed by individuals linked to the ruling party are disconcerting. So too is the reopening of criminal cases against opposition figures that have been closed for years. Politicians must be permitted to exercise their right to speak freely, and Georgia's judicial system should not be used as a tool to limit this freedom.

"Finally, we are particularly concerned that the independence of Georgia's judicial system is being undermined by the appointment of 14 new Supreme Court justices for lifetime tenures before their qualifications were fully evaluated, as noted in the January 2020 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe monitoring report. Installing political allies into the highest court, instead of impartial judges with robust credentials, undermines the very democratic institutions that have made Georgia the envy of the region. Mr. Ivanishvili's recent statement that many more protestors will have to go to prison is a further troubling development. We hope it is not an indication that the Georgian government is willing to misuse the courts and police for political gain.

"We have been strong advocates of the US partnership with Georgia for years and still believe you have a strong democratic foundation. However, these events give us pause and raise questions about Georgia's commitment to our shared values. Further, we fear that a lack of progress on reforms and increased tensions within Georgia will only open the door for increased Russian meddling in the country and throughout the region. The longer these actions continue, the more Georgia's security will be jeopardized, and we may be forced to reevaluate our partnership.

"An independent, democratic Georgia has many international supporters, and we are eager to continue to assist your country. However, we are motivated to support Georgia's economic and political development only as long as we can rely on Georgia to be a stable, trustworthy, and democratic partner in this effort. We sincerely hope that you will work quickly to reverse this decline and fulfill the promises made to the Georgian people,” the letter reads.

The above letter is a part of a series of critical statements made by American congressmen in recent times. In particular, letters sent by Adam Kinzinger and Gerald E. Connolly, Co-Chairs of the US Congressional Georgia Caucus and the joint letter sent by four Congressmen, together with the letter by Congressman Mullin, which also mention the dispute between the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation and the US-based company Frontera Resources.

In addition, on January 28, congressman Pete Olson criticized the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, over the company Frontera Resources.

Olson in his remarks made in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday compared Ivanishvili to Oscar the Grouch and said: “they’re both puppets who’ve trashed their homes.”

The congressman said, “Vladimir Putin’s puppet has attacked foreign investment in Georgia and crushed basic human rights.”

“Coming from Texas, Frontera Resources has been drilling in Georgia for years and years and years. They’ve created great jobs in America, great jobs in Georgia. They’ve created freedom…. Now they are drilling zero wealth in Georgia. Of course, Vladimir Putin is happy to control Georgia’s oil. This puppet oligarch Ivanishvili is getting rich off the backs of the Georgian people. It’s time to wake up… Protesters in Georgia need our support. Join me in raising our voices for freedom in Georgia,” Olson concluded.

In response, the ruling party Georgian Dream members' common position is that US congressmen "are not properly informed, and have one-sided information about recent developments in the country". They say they plan to inform them of their arguments regarding the open letters during regular meetings scheduled for February." 

As the Chairman of Parliament Archil Talakvadze stated yesterday, "the government is ready to answer all the questions that the congressmen asked in their letters."

"The statements we hear from American congressmen go beyond our friendly relationship. Such tone and statements are absolutely unacceptable," Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze told journalists yesterday while commenting on the series of letters.

As Kaladze pointed out, strategic partner legislators "should not have spoken to their friend country like that".

By Ana Dumbadze 

Related Story: Tbilisi Mayor: Congressmen Letters Go Beyond our Friendly Relationship