Council of Europe Congress to review report on Georgia on April 1

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will discuss a report on Georgia on April 1, within the framework of its 50th session.

Based on the session’s agenda, the document to be reviewed was prepared following a fact-finding mission to Georgia. The Congress will consider and vote on both a draft resolution and a draft recommendation based on the findings.

The report calls on the Georgian authorities to urgently resume political dialogue at all levels of government through an inclusive process involving all stakeholders, with the aim of reducing polarization and restoring the system of checks and balances essential for a pluralistic democracy. It also urges the implementation of the Congress’s recommendations and the opinions of the Venice Commission to restore genuine local democracy in line with the European Charter.

In addition, the Congress calls on the authorities to repeal problematic amendments to the Electoral Code and undertake a comprehensive reform preceded by broad consultations, in order to ensure the independence of the Central Election Commission. It further urges the government to immediately halt the criminalization of opposition voices and repeal legislative changes that could facilitate the banning of opposition parties.

The report also recommends reinstating gender quotas and strengthening provisions to increase women’s participation in local politics. It calls for the repeal of changes restricting election observation, a return to systematically inviting the Congress to observe local elections, and the creation of conditions for genuine political dialogue. It further urges the Georgian authorities to repeal any legislation that violates human rights and to refrain from actions that could hinder civil society and the media, while calling for thorough investigations into reports of violence against detainees and protesters, as well as the release of detained journalists and political leaders.