Georgian Parliament official says OSCE risks losing public trust in Georgia over “absurd” amendments to report

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament and Head of Georgia's Permanent Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, on Thursday took part in the OSCE PA’s annual session, where he delivered a strong critique of recent amendments concerning Georgia.

Speaking at the Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, Samkharadze condemned the proposed changes to the report that relate to Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections, calling them “absurd in many respects”.

“The first two sentences directly contradict the OSCE/ODIHR report’s findings. I would like to ask the Polish MP who introduced this initiative: why is he undermining the credibility of the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission? What is the point of having election observation if some members of this Assembly dismiss the mission’s findings due to political preferences or personal ties to opposition parties?” the Georgian official remarked.

He further stressed that Georgia remained an active OSCE member and the organisation was held in high regard by the Georgian public.

However, according to Samkharadze, the inclusion of such absurd amendments would undermine that trust.

The Chair also responded to another amendment that described the strengthening of ties between the Georgian Government and the Russian Federation as alarming.

“I believe most members of this Assembly are aware that, along with Ukraine, Georgia is the only country in the Assembly not having diplomatic relations with Russia due to the occupation of 20 percent of our territory. What strengthened ties are they referring to? The author of this initiative should present specific evidence”, Samkharadze stated.

The committee chair also touched on Georgia’s EU integration, emphasising that the issue is part of the bilateral agenda between Georgia and the European Union and lies beyond the OSCE’s mandate.

In conclusion, Samkharadze criticised another amendment claiming that the Georgian Government is attempting to consolidate power through the adoption of specific laws.

“I would be glad to hear which laws are being referred to, whether they are anti-democratic or unconstitutional, and what exact provisions they contain. We cannot throw around accusations without presenting any evidence”, he concluded.