Page 8 - GEORptDec19

transparency and accountability despite some positive measures to build public trust in the judiciary,” the IFDI think tank​ ​commented​.
Referring to developments in EU’s Eastern Partnership neighborhood in her opening remarks at the European Parliament, Mogherini noted that “Georgia is a close and reliable ally in the neighbourhood, in our partnership, and it is precisely why we do not shy away when we see risks”.
EU’s top diplomat also spoke of recent tensions across the line of occupation in breakaway Georgian region Tskhinvali/South Ossetia.
“The security situation along the administrative boundary line with the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia has worsened in recent months,” Mogherini noted, adding that “this is why we are increasing our EU Monitoring Mission’s presence on the ground”.
Mogherini further noted that “because our [EU’s] support to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is not just a statement or declaration of principle, it is the foundation of our daily concrete work on the ground”.
2.3​ ​Tbilisi protests as ruling party maintains block on adopting proportional representation electoral system prior to 2020 poll
Police in Tbilisi on the night of November 25/26 again had to resort to force to disperse protesters demanding ruling party MPs agree to a proportional representation (PR) electoral system in advance of Georgia’s scheduled 2020 general election.
Riot police used water cannon to disperse protesters near parliament, but the use of force was considerable less compared to one week earlier when the same tactic was deployed to disperse demonstrators who were blocking access to the legislature. Some activists were detained. The protesters arrested at last week’s rally and showdown with police outside the parliament building were given sentences in the range of several days in jail. That move was seen as clearly aimed at preventing them from returning to the street.
The leaders of ad-hoc civil rights groups and the opposition party European Georgia are leading the protests.
As the conflict becomes more radical, the chances of the ruling Georgian Dream party maintaining the status quo decrease and the scenario of long-term protests gripping Tbilisi becomes increasingly likely. The final outcome remains, however, uncertain. The general election should be held in October next year, although the opposition are advocating snap elections under a fully PR system organised by an interim, independent government.
The leaders of Georgian Dream have said that the topic of adopting PR is for now “closed”. The alternative to the current mixed electoral system is a full majority voting system, already requested by a faction of the party, they have cautioned. It is unclear whether this is a bargaining instrument for maintaining the system as it is, or the first step of a plan for reversing the plan to bring in a PR system by 2024 as provisioned for under the Constitution.
8​ GEORGIA Country Report​ December 2019 ​ ​www.intellinews.com