Day: May 27, 2024

What is Georgian Charter?

On May 26, Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili introduced the “Georgian Charter,” encouraging all pro-European opposition parties to cooperate. Zourabichvili emphasized that this agreement does not involve a unified electoral list or any form of political alliance.

The charter states that the parliament formed after the October elections will be temporary, holding only one session to make crucial decisions to return the country to the path of Euro-Atlantic integration, followed by early parliamentary elections under free and fair conditions.

Another key component of the charter is that the government responsible for implementing this action plan will be appointed by the president of Georgia.

“This is unity without unification, unity solely around this charter and its implementation, i.e., around a European future. This agreement does not require or imply a unified electoral list or any other necessary political alliances.

After signing this joint charter, the parties must determine their own electoral strategies and tactics,” said Salome Zourabichvili.

The president believes that the October parliamentary elections should decide “not whom we vote for, but what we vote for.”

The upcoming 2024 elections will serve as a de facto referendum where we must clearly answer whether we want to be in Europe or not, she said.

Opposition parties “Akhali,” “Lelo,” “European Georgia,” “Girchi – More Freedom,” and “Droa” have already joined the “Georgian Charter” presented by the president.

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What is written in the “Georgian Charter” — Document

The “Georgian Charter” outlines the main demands of the pro-Western segment of Georgia‘s population. Essentially and in spirit, the document serves to implement key steps that are existentially significant for contemporary society.

The steps to be taken by the signatories of this charter align with item 9 of the recommendations given to Georgia by the European Council when the country was granted candidate status for European Union membership on December 14, 2023.

Charter envisions the following steps:

1.Repealing laws detrimental to the European course of the country

We will immediately repeal all laws conflicting with the European path and recommendations. This includes the “Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence,” which is a Russian law, amendments made to the electoral code, so-called wiretapping laws, offshore laws, and others.

We will also annul politically motivated cases against demonstrators who participated in the 2024 protests; they will be granted amnesty.

2.Restoring trust in the justice system

• Judicial system overhaul
• Eliminating nepotism, assessing judges’ integrity and the source of their undeclared assets;
• Scrutiny will extend to all judges whose politically motivated decisions undermined trust in the judiciary and damaged its reputation;
• All members of the Constitutional Court, High Council of Justice, Supreme Court, chairs of the Court of Appeals and city courts will be reviewed;
• Future judges will also be scrutinized. New judges will be appointed to address court congestion and breaches of trial deadlines;
• Fully implementing electronic case distribution to remove political influence in the case allocation process;
• Judges will be barred from holding administrative positions for a second term;
• Strengthening the jury system mandate and expanding its jurisdiction over cases of significant public interest;

A comprehensive reform of the High Council of Justice will entail the following actions:

• Additional powers will be rescinded, including: the right to disciplinary proceedings, which is a lever for persecuting judges; the right to elect chairs of administrative bodies;
• The Judicial School will become independent from the Council;
• Changes will be made to the Supreme Court judge selection process: the council will evaluate candidates solely based on constitutional criteria and present a full list to parliament, which will then select them.

Council members are prohibited from:

Holding other administrative positions;
Being eligible for re-election;
Non-judges will influence important council decisions.

3.Other priority reform steps will include:

Prosecution system:

• The Attorney General will be elected by a high quorum and only for one term.
• The Prosecution Council will be strengthened.

Security Service / Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA):

• A fundamental reform of the Security Service and MIA will be conducted to decentralize power.
• Effective parliamentary oversight will be established over the activities of each of these structures to protect them from political influence.

Special Investigation Service:

• We will strengthen and provide real independence to protect the rights of citizens in cases of violence by law enforcement officials.

Anti-corruption Agency

• We will separate executive power from the government and provide them with real tools of influence. They will primarily be endowed with investigative powers for corruption cases.
• The agency head will be elected by the Georgian parliament and accountable to it.

National Bank

• We will restore its independence, increase the number of board directors, and balance between executive and non-executive members.
• We exclude the possibility of making individual decisions.
• Orders by the head of the National Bank that contradict Georgia’s international obligations will be annulled.

Regulatory bodies

• We will free them from political influence, and independent leaders will be democratically appointed.

Strengthening the electoral system

The following conditions will be established for fair and free elections:

• The procedure for electing the chairman of the CEC and CEC staffing will be improved,
• The threshold for entry into parliament will be lowered,
• The possibility of creating blocs will be restored,
• The funding system for parties will be reviewed,
• The diaspora will be given the opportunity to participate in elections.

Creating a New Political Reality

We, the signatories of this charter, who will receive a mandate from the Georgian people in the parliamentary elections on October 26, 2024, pledge and promise to fulfill the conditions outlined in this charter by the end of the first spring session of parliament.

Upon its completion, early parliamentary elections will be prepared and held in free and fair conditions.

We also promise that the government responsible for implementing this action plan will be appointed by the President of Georgia.

What is Georgian Charter?

Following the Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili’s announcement of the “Georgian Charter” on May 26, which outlined a roadmap for resolving the political crisis and advancing EU integration, eight opposition parties have so far pledged to sign it. These parties are: Girchi-More Freedom and Droa, United National Movement and Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Ahali, Lelo for Georgia, European Georgia, and Republican Party.

The President has set June 1 as the deadline for signing these provisions and joining the Charter.

In their statements, the parties emphasize the importance of the Georgian Charter for Georgia’s European integration path, as well as for the opposition parties to develop a common position and declared that they will sign it.

“…[The Georgian Charter] provides for the parties to agree on a common vision of the necessary reforms for the opening of accession negotiations with the EU, and [therefore] we sign it,” reads the statement by Girchi-More Freedom and Droa.

The UNM said that the Charter aims to “establish a common vision of pro-Western parties on the steps and reforms that need to be taken regarding [Georgia’s] integration into the EU.” The UNM’s ally Strategy Aghmashenebeli stressed the same point, saying that the Charter aims at “firm support for the European course and the formation and presentation of the vision of pro-Western parties.”

“We believe that this document expresses the will of the absolute majority of our citizens, which they are expressing in the streets of the capital and other cities of Georgia. The president’s vision is a way out of this worst situation that Ivanishvili and “Georgian Dream” have imposed on Georgia,” Ahali said in its statement, adding: “Now, at this historic moment, such a joint effort of the president and pro-Western political parties is necessary to defeat the anti-national and anti-Western government and then implement the reforms with which our homeland will return to the Western course and we will achieve the historic goal of the Georgian people.”

The Georgian Charter calls on all signatory parties, if they receive a popular mandate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, to commit to fulfilling its objectives during the spring session and to schedule early elections for the fall of 2025 to create the environment for free and fair elections. The technical, non-partisan government will be proposed by the President.

To be updated….