10/12/2014 Monitoring
Boriss Cilevics (Latvia, SOC), monitoring co-rapporteur for Georgia of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has expressed satisfaction at the reform of the judiciary in the country, but called for comprehensive reforms of the Prosecution Service and law enforcement agencies.
Speaking following a three-day visit to Tbilisi (3 to 5 December), he said: “The ruling majority should make good on its election promise and separate the security services from the Ministry of the Interior. Furthermore, while I welcome the numerous reports that the judiciary now generally acts independently and is free from outside interference, I am concerned about the recurrent allegations that political motivations may play a role in the decisions of the Prosecutor General’s office. Not only should the Prosecutor act independently of any political interest, but he should be seen to do so. At the same time, being fully independent does not mean that the Prosecution Service should not be aware of the possible political connotations of their decisions,” said Mr Cilevics.
Noting the increased pluralism in the Georgian political environment following the split in the ruling coalition, Mr Cilevics expressed the hope that this would not create a barrier to the further constitutional reform being prepared: “It is particularly important that an agreement is made promptly with regard to the electoral system in Georgia. I want to emphasise in this context that the current election system violates European standards with regard to the equality of the vote. The necessary constitutional amendments should therefore be adopted well before the next parliamentary elections take place.”
Mr Cilevics visited Tbilisi in the framework of the Assembly’s on-going monitoring procedure for Georgia. He will present a detailed information note on his visit in January.