Tbilisi (GBC) - The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on the state of local and regional democracy in Georgia.
The resolution, supported by 101 members with 10 against, expresses deep concern over democratic backsliding and weakening human rights in the country. It highlights growing societal polarization and the adoption of legislation that contradicts Council of Europe standards.
“Over the past two years has had an increasingly negative impact on local democracy in Georgia. This has intensified in the aftermath of the 2024 parliamentary elections, which were rejected by all opposition parties, as well as domestic and some international election observers, notably due to concerns over their integrity, and following the decision to halt Georgian EU accession on 28 November 2024,” the resolution reads.
It also notes that “following the highly controversial adoption of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence and the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) adopted in first reading, NGOs and dissenting voices in the media, which work under increasingly challenging conditions, have been increasingly subjected to intimidation and stigmatisation. This undermines their freedom of association and freedom of expression. In a democratic society, freedom of expression must be protected, supported and promoted irrespective of whether it is critical of the government, and even if it is influenced by international discourse.
The brutal repression of peaceful protesters and opponents by law-enforcement authorities in many cities, and particularly in the capital city of Tbilisi, has violated both the freedoms of expression and assembly. Moreover, freedom of assembly in Georgia has been negatively affected by recent amendments to legislation that increase sanctions and offences related to public demonstrations, which according to the Venice Commission introduced “vague and broadly framed provisions, granting the authorities [including local authorities] excessively broad discretion in their application”. This situation has forced local authorities to take decisions that do not comply with democratic standards.
The instrumentalisation of public institutions, including at local level, has resulted in numerous reports of dismissals, intimidation and pressure on civil servants. This has been facilitated by the adoption of amendments to the Law on Public Service.”
It also addresses concerns expressed in recent reports by international and local observers “regarding the politicisation of public administration, widespread misuse of administrative resources and pressure on voters during electoral campaigns, which unduly tilt the playing field between candidates and distort the will of voters.”
“The legal framework applicable to local elections in Georgia has been amended more than 20 times since the last elections, without extensive consultations and broad consensus. This is not in line with the principle of stability of electoral law. The amendments have moreover reinforced the dominant position of the ruling party in the Central Election Commission, undermining its independence, and have also wound back fundamental rules pertaining to the electoral system, gender quotas and the establishment of electoral districts.
It notes with concern that these serious shortcomings and challenges affecting the respect of democracy, rule of law and human rights have led to a collapse in public confidence in democratic institutions for large parts of the Georgian population, and notably the young people, and damaged local democracy, which is not conducive to holding the 2025 local elections in a trust-based environment; in fact, it risks exacerbating the situation,” the document reads.
