Georgia's Int'l Partners Assess Opposition Leaders' Release
Georgia’s international partners have responded to the release of two opposition leaders, former Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava and former Minister of Defense Irakli Okruashvili, pardoned by the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili on Friday evening, who left the penitentiary facility last night.
While publicly commenting on their release, the international partners unanimously claimed that the above was yet another step to democracy and fulfillment of the March 8 Agreement.
The facilitators of the political dialogue between the government and the opposition, who significantly contributed to achieving the March 8 political agreement between the parties, have released a joint statement, welcoming the decision of the President Salome Zurabishvili.
“We welcome the decision by the President of Georgia to use her constitutional powers in the interest of political depolarization and creating a political environment more conducive to a free, fair and transparent electoral process.
“We, as facilitators of the political dialogue, consider this decision also as a pivotal contribution toward the implementation of the 8 March agreement.
“We strongly appeal to all sides to fully implement the agreement in both letter and spirit and to play their part to ensure the successful adoption of the constitutional amendments and the election reform legislation, in the interest of free and fair elections this autumn.
“We will continue to follow closely further progress with regard to all aspects related to the 8 March agreement,” reads the joint statement published by the US Embassy in Georgia.
US Senators Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Jeanne Shaheen, released the following statement after Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced the pardon and release of two opposition leaders:
“We welcome today’s pardon and release from prison of Mr. Okruashvili and Mr. Ugulava. This is an important step in the implementation of the March 8 agreement that will modify Georgia’s electoral system and bring an end to political interference in the judiciary. Today’s releases send a strong signal to all those who worked to bring about and signed the agreement that progress can and will be made.
“We look forward to seeing the agreed-upon changes made to the electoral system when the Georgian parliament returns to work in the next weeks, as well as the release of Mr. Giorgi Rurua, a media owner who was detained in December on spurious charges.”
Viola von Cramon, Member of European Parliament, has responded the Georgian President’s decision:
“President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili made a bold and difficult step to depolarize the situation in her country and pave the way for more democratic parliamentary elections”, the MEP tweeted.
MEP Anna Fotyga has welcomed the Pardon Act, noting that “The citizens of Georgia deserve progress.”
"I welcome the pardon of political prisoners Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okruashvili by President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili. Citizens of Georgia deserve only progress. I expect the 2020 elections to be free and fair,” the MEP tweeted.
“I welcome the pardon of Ugulava and Okruashvili as a conscientious step to dispel tensions,” European Parliament member Marina Kaljurand wrote on Twitter.
She called on all parties to work together to implement the March 8 agreement.
Andrius Kubilius, the Chairman of the European Parliament’s Deputation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, also responded to the recent developments in Georgia.
“Important development in Georgia - President Zurabishvili has pardoned two opposition leaders, former Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava and former Minister of Defense Irakli Okruashvili. Step to right direction. My congratulations to the President,” he tweeted.
Before the release of the President’s Pardon Act, several members of the European Parliament urged Georgian authorities to fulfill March 8 agreement and release "political prisoners."
By Ana Dumbadze
Related Story: Pardoned Opposition Leaders Leave Penitentiary Facility