Page 9 - GEORptFeb22

2.4 Nato’s door open to Georgia but political reforms needed, envoy says
Nato will not compromise on its open-door policy under pressure from Russia, but prospective members like Georgia must make significant domestic reforms and resolve territorial disputes to join the club, a top alliance official said on January 28.
Javier Colomina, Nato’s special representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, said that Georgia needs to take steps now to prepare to join the alliance, even though membership may be off in the future.
“We know that right now is not the time for a breakthrough in the open-door policy. And I know the Georgian authorities know that, but they still need to be prepared, to fulfill all the reforms that are needed – in electoral reform, judicial reform, security, etc.,” Colomina told RFE/RL in an interview.
Georgia’s relationship with its Western partners was badly shaken last year. The fallout from a government-encouraged far-right rampage against media on July 5 led to a deterioration in relations, while the EU cancelled a planned funding tranche over failed judicial reforms.
2.5 UNM replaces Melia as party’s political council head
Georgia’s largest opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), has made several staff changes, including the replacement of the party’s political council head Nika Melia with Koba Nakopia, who has been the executive secretary of the UNM since 2019.
Melia remains in the post of party chairman, and will lead the UNM Tbilisi organization, replacing Zaal Udumashvili.
Melia stated that the changes in the party are necessary due to the challenges the UNM is facing, adding that he wanted to make reforms last year, but failed due to various events such as his arrest on February 23 and former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s clandestine return to the country in October of 2021 from eight years in political exile.
UNM member and former official Petre Tsiskarishvili will take the post of secretary general of the party.
Nakopia, who has been a UNM member since 2008, was Senaki mayoral candidate in local self-government elections last year, receiving 47% of the vote.
2.6 Georgia’s ruling GD party nearly sweeps local elections
Georgia's ruling party, Georgian Dream, won 19 of 20 mayoral elections including the contest in the capital Tbilisi, electoral authorities said on October 31, as the opposition alleged that ballots were rigged.
Central Election Commission chief Georgi Kalandarishvili said October 30's voting was competitive, free and transparent, while independent election
9 GEORGIA Country Report February 2022 www.intellinews.com