Day: September 11, 2023

Yerevan (AFP) – The United States and Armenia opened military drills on Monday, the latest sign of Yerevan drifting from Moscow’s orbit as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reshapes post-Soviet relations.

Soldiers walk in a trench at a border checkpoint between Armenia and Azerbaijan near the village of Sotk, Armenia, on June 18, 2021 © Karen MINASYAN / AFP/File

In a press conference this week, Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze announced the commencement of an impeachment procedure against Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili. Kobakhidze acknowledged that while the process requires the support of the opposition in parliament, the party views it as their constitutional duty to address what they perceive as a violation of the Constitution.
The grounds for impeachment, as outlined by Kobakhidze, stem from President Zurabishvili’s alleged breach of the Constitution by embarking on a series of foreign visits without the government’s approval. According to Georgian Dream, the Constitution explicitly mandates that the government has sole authority over both domestic and foreign policy.
While it is understood that garnering support from the opposition is pivotal for the impeachment process to proceed, Georgian Dream maintains that the primary objective is to have the Constitutional Court officially confirm the violation of the Constitution by President Zurabishvili.
The party contends that this move will serve to shed light on what they perceive as a close alignment between the President and the radical opposition.
“The meeting of the political council of the party was held, where, in addition to other issues, we discussed the gross violation of the Constitution of Georgia by the President of Georgia, who started a series of visits to foreign countries without the consent of the government. According to the Constitution of Georgia, only the government is authorized to implement the domestic and foreign policy of the country.
“According to Article 52, Clause 1, Sub-Clause A of the Constitution of Georgia, the President of Georgia shall exercise representative powers in foreign relations only with the approval of the government. As such, the text of the Constitution does not leave even minimal space for its non-uniform interpretation. It is known to the public that the President of Georgia has a radically different attitude from the government towards the processes related to Georgia’s EU membership candidate status. In particular, her position is that Georgia did not deserve the candidate status last year.
“Moreover, according to her, the parliament and the government are only formally fulfilling the requirements of the European Union, which means that, in her opinion, Georgia does not deserve the status of a candidate even now.
“Given such an attitude, it is obvious that any European visit of the President of Georgia is counterproductive from the point of view of Georgia’s chances to receive the candidate status and directly opposes the efforts of the Georgian government to receive said status. Therefore, the refusal of the Georgian government regarding the European tour planned by the President was justified both from the legal and political point of view,” said Kobakhidze.

He claimed that Salome Zurabishvili is trying to play “a kind of invincibility game.”

Source: Facebook

“On the one hand, she knows that from today’s point of view, the prospect of granting Georgia candidate status has increased, and she wants to earn points from such a possible development of events. On the other hand, she will try, as much as possible, to prevent Georgia from receiving the candidate status.
“The Constitution of Georgia provides for the only effective legal mechanism for responding to its violation – this is impeachment. Yesterday and the day before yesterday, we were repeatedly pointing out that despite the gross violation of the Constitution, impeachment was impossible in the given political situation. The support of 100 MPs is required for the implementation of impeachment and, accordingly, without the votes of the radical opposition, it has no prospect of execution. Despite this, at the meeting of the political council of the party, we made a decision to initiate the impeachment procedure against the President of Georgia. First of all, this is our responsibility before the Constitution of Georgia. Turning a blind eye to gross violations of the Constitution undermines the rule of law of a legal state and democratic constitutional system. In addition, the impeachment procedure will once again expose the common agenda of the radical opposition and Salome Zurabishvili, which is directed against the state interests of Georgia, including Georgia’s candidate status.
In order to initiate the impeachment procedure, the signatures of the members of the parliamentary majority will be collected in the next few days, and the relevant constitutional submission will be filed with the Constitutional Court of Georgia,” Kobakhidze said.
The impeachment procedure, as outlined in the Constitution, necessitates the backing of at least one-third of the full parliament membership (50 deputies). To actually remove the President from office through impeachment, 100 votes are required. This highlights the significance of cooperation with the opposition in this endeavor.
European Parliamentarian Viola von Cramon has weighed in on the situation, expressing the view that the initiation of impeachment may be seen as an attempt to divert public attention from other pressing issues.
“In my opinion, this is an attempt to divert public attention from real problems,” the MEP stated.
The process outlined in the Constitution stipulates that the matter must be referred to the Constitutional Court, which is tasked with considering it and presenting its conclusion to the Parliament within a month. If the Constitutional Court confirms the violation of the Constitution or the presence of signs of a crime, the Parliament must then consider and vote on the issue of the removal of the official from office through impeachment within two weeks.
Ultimately, the President of Georgia can only be removed from office by impeachment if the decision garners the support of at least two-thirds of the full membership of the Parliament. Should the Parliament fail to reach a decision within the specified period, initiating the impeachment procedure on the same grounds is prohibited.

In light of these developments, the initiation of the impeachment procedure against President Salome Zurabishvili marks a significant political event in Georgia’s recent history. The outcome will hinge on political maneuvering and cooperation between the ruling party and the opposition in the days ahead.

By Mariam Gorkhelashvili

The US Embassy in Azerbaijan paid tribute to those killed in the
terror attacks of September 11, 2001, Azernews
reports, citing the Embassy.

“Today our Embassy, led by Chargé d’Affaires Hugo Guevara,
marked the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks and remembered those who
lost their lives. We will never forget how Azerbaijan stood with
the United States during this tragic time,” the embassy wrote on
X.

On September 11, 2001, the United States was struck by a
devastating terrorist attack that took the lives of thousands of
innocent people. The US Embassy in Azerbaijan paid tribute to those
killed in the attacks, and around the world, memorials and services
were held in their honor.

In Madrid, staff from the US Embassy placed a floral wreath at a
memorial in Juan Carlos I Park, and two giant light beams pierced
the night sky to represent the Twin Towers. Flags flew at
half-staff outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, where Jens
Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, and Douglas D. Jones, the US
chargé d’affaires, held a moment of silence at the Sept. 11
memorial.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India described the 9/11 attack
as an “attack on humanity,” while French President Emmanuel Macron
posted a video on Twitter with a caption that translates to, “We
will #NeverForget. We will always fight for freedom.” German
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas released a statement saying that his
country will never “forget that fateful day,” and South Korean
President Moon Jae-in expressed his deepest condolences to
President Biden and the US.

The anniversary of the September 11 attacks is a time to
remember the lives lost and the legacies left behind. We will never
forget the victims, survivors, and families affected by the
tragedy, and we will continue to honor their memory.

—

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

The US Embassy in Azerbaijan paid tribute to those killed in the
terror attacks of September 11, 2001, Azernews
reports, citing the Embassy.

“Today our Embassy, led by Chargé d’Affaires Hugo Guevara,
marked the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks and remembered those who
lost their lives. We will never forget how Azerbaijan stood with
the United States during this tragic time,” the embassy wrote on
X.

On September 11, 2001, the United States was struck by a
devastating terrorist attack that took the lives of thousands of
innocent people. The US Embassy in Azerbaijan paid tribute to those
killed in the attacks, and around the world, memorials and services
were held in their honor.

In Madrid, staff from the US Embassy placed a floral wreath at a
memorial in Juan Carlos I Park, and two giant light beams pierced
the night sky to represent the Twin Towers. Flags flew at
half-staff outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, where Jens
Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, and Douglas D. Jones, the US
chargé d’affaires, held a moment of silence at the Sept. 11
memorial.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India described the 9/11 attack
as an “attack on humanity,” while French President Emmanuel Macron
posted a video on Twitter with a caption that translates to, “We
will #NeverForget. We will always fight for freedom.” German
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas released a statement saying that his
country will never “forget that fateful day,” and South Korean
President Moon Jae-in expressed his deepest condolences to
President Biden and the US.

The anniversary of the September 11 attacks is a time to
remember the lives lost and the legacies left behind. We will never
forget the victims, survivors, and families affected by the
tragedy, and we will continue to honor their memory.

—

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

TBILISI — When the European Union cracked open its door to Georgia last year, it made its invitation to formal candidate status conditional on the country reducing the polarization that has long vexed its domestic politics.

But before Brussels makes its critical decision on Georgia’s candidacy in October, the country is embroiled in yet another bitter internal power struggle.

President Salome Zurabishvili is on a tour of Europe that so far has taken her to Berlin, Brussels, and Paris to promote Georgia’s EU candidacy. But the Georgian Constitution requires the president — whose position is largely symbolic — to get permission from the government before conducting any foreign policy activities. According to the government, Zurabishvili asked for permission for the trip but was refused.

On the same day that she was warmly greeted in Brussels by European Council President Charles Michel, who praised her “personal commitment to advancing the European perspective of Georgia,” back at home she was in trouble. The ruling Georgian Dream party announced on September 1 that it intended to launch impeachment proceedings against Zurabishvili.

Zurabishvili and European Council President Charles Michel in Brussels on May 30

Party officials have accused her of not promoting the country’s EU candidacy but herself. Party Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze said that the nominally independent Zurabishvili was acting in concert with Georgia’s political opposition to undermine the government: “They are doing everything so that Georgia is not given candidate status; this is their main interest. [While] at the same time, if the country is given candidate status, Salome Zurabishvili will try her best to attribute this decision to herself.”

Georgian Dream officials have acknowledged that they don’t have the votes in parliament to carry out the impeachment. But the demonstrative effort is a sign of the political jockeying that is intensifying as the EU decision looms: As Georgians gain confidence from recent signals that their bid may be successful, attention in Tbilisi is turning to who does and does not deserve credit for the potentially landmark decision.

Georgia applied for EU candidate status shortly after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, along with Ukraine and Moldova. While those two latter countries were awarded candidate status in June 2022, Georgia was instead given an EU “perspective” and a list of reforms it should implement. In addition to tackling political polarization and other issues, the European Commission has recommended Georgia address judicial reform, increase the fight against corruption and organized crime, and commit to “de-oligarchization.” In October, the EU will decide — based on its perception of the progress Georgia has made on those reforms — whether to award it candidate status.

Many in Georgia’s political opposition and anti-government civil society groups argue that the government’s efforts leave much to be desired. They point to the government’s spotty implementation of the EU-demanded reforms, as well as a series of foreign policy moves that have called into question the country’s once ironclad devotion to a Euro-Atlantic orientation. The critics argue that a positive decision from the EU would thus allow Georgian Dream to claim credit it doesn’t deserve and could boost the party ahead of parliamentary elections in 2024. They say the EU should advance Tbilisi’s membership prospects but in a way that frames the gesture as an acknowledgment of Georgians’ national will to become part of Europe rather than anything their government did.

“We are asking the European structures to give us the status, but make it very clear that the status was given to the Georgian people and Georgian society, and it was not deserved by the government,” said Keti Khutsishvili, the executive director of the Open Society Foundation of Georgia, part of the network of civil society groups founded by financier and philanthropist George Soros.

The country’s largest opposition party, the United National Movement, is going to launch a campaign in Europe for a decision from Brussels “to keep Georgia on the path to EU membership, but, at the same time, to allow the Georgian people to elect a pro-European, rule-of-law government,” said the party’s secretary for international relations, Zurab Chiaberashvili.

Zurabishvili speaks during the plenary session at European Parliament in Brussels on May 31.

Georgian Dream, meanwhile, accuses the opposition and Zurabishvili of trying to sabotage the EU bid for their own gain and argues that a positive decision from Brussels should be credited only to them. In comments criticizing the president’s tour, Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili said the party deserves “exclusive” credit for advancing Georgia’s European aspirations.

Zurabishvili has become a particular target for Georgian Dream’s ire, given her increasingly outspoken role. While she has few formal powers, her popularity has risen as she has voiced strongly pro-Western and pro-Ukrainian views even as the ruling party has adopted an increasingly transactional stance with its Western partners and even dabbled in anti-Western conspiracy theories. Most controversially, the government mooted a “foreign agent” law — which Zurabishvili said would bring Georgia “closer to the flawed Russian model and not to the European model” — before huge street protests forced the party to back down.

Despite the EU demands that the country reduce it, Georgian Dream sees polarization as one of its most useful political tools, said Vano Abramishvili, an analyst and head of the Peace Program at the Tbilisi-based NGO Caucasian House. And Zurabishvili’s rising stature has made her a threat to the party, especially with elections coming up next year. “Zurabishvili is very popular and she might do something on her own, like form a political party or something, and they want to destroy her,” Abramishvili told RFE/RL.

Thousands of demonstrators marched through the Tbilisi on March 8 to protest against government plans to introduce a “foreign agent” law reminiscent of Russian legislation used to silence critics.

Zurabishvili’s disobedience of the government orders to stay home — epitomized by a viral Instagram post of her grinning widely on a speeding German train — cemented her popularity among pro-Western Georgians. It represents a remarkable turnaround from when she was elected in 2018, when that same bloc dismissed her as a Georgian Dream puppet. But not long after she was elected, Georgian Dream began to tack in an antidemocratic direction, and she gradually began to push back against the party. And when the government responded timidly to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, she spoke forcefully at pro-Ukraine rallies.

During her tenure, her popularity ratings have risen significantly: Early in her time in office, in 2019, 57 percent of respondents in a poll from the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute saw her unfavorably, versus 36 percent who saw her favorably. The same poll, in March of this year, found those numbers had changed to 47 and 48, respectively, making her one of only three Georgian political figures with a net positive favorability rating.

The friendly reception she is receiving in European capitals demonstrates that her star is rising there, as well. And the impeachment proceedings against her will not help Georgia’s case, said Sonja Schiffers, the director of the Tbilisi office of the German-based Heinrich Boell Foundation.

Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze (second right) has said Zurabishvili was acting in concert with Georgia’s political opposition to undermine the government. (file photo)

“If you would want to trust that the government acts in good faith and genuinely wants to get candidacy, then it’s quite unbelievable to start this process now,” Schiffers told RFE/RL. “So, I think this is another really big dubious incident after the foreign agent law and it puts the status into question.”

The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, is slated to report on Georgia’s progress in its annual enlargement report, which will also assess Moldova’s and Ukraine’s bids to join the bloc. Then in December, the EU’s 27 member states will vote on whether to advance Georgia’s application.

It remains far from a given how the commission will decide, but pro-European Georgians have been cheered by recent signals coming from Brussels, impeachment drama notwithstanding. European Council President Michel has recently advocated speeding up the enlargement process and has pointedly included Georgia in his remarks.

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, is visiting Tbilisi on September 7-8 in what appears to be a hastily organized bid to shore up Tbilisi’s chances for advancement. He will meet with Zurabishvili, Gharibashvili, and other officials.

“Borrell’s visit is a clear sign that the European Union is trying, it’s grasping at straws with Georgia, trying to take every opportunity to give Georgia status,” political analyst Khatuna Lagazidze told RFE/RL’s Georgian Service. “Borrell would not come to say no,” she said, but added that the case for a positive decision still needed to be strengthened.

Ahead of the visit, Borrell was asked by Georgian news website Civil.ge about Zurabishvili’s impeachment, and he gave her a clear endorsement: “We appreciate the president’s commitment to European values and her European vision for Georgia. Unity is more important than ever,” he said. The implications for Georgia’s politics will likely be on the mind of policymakers in Brussels as they make their decision. “It’s a tough call, because if you give Georgia candidacy, it’s almost rewarding this government, which is backsliding on democracy. And [the government] can say, ‘See, we got us the invitation.’ But if you don’t give it to them, then they’re going to say, ‘The West doesn’t want us, so there is only Russia,’” said Brian Whitmore, a fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, in an interview with RFE/RL’s Georgian Service. “There is no good option here.”

While the European Commission should not weigh the Georgian domestic political implications of its decision too heavily, it may seek to use language that minimizes the benefit that the government can extract from a positive decision, Schiffers said. For example, it could say that it is advancing Georgia’s application “despite the lack of implementation” of the reforms.

“I expect that they will be explicit about this,” she said.