Josep Borrell, the top diplomat of the EU, spoke about the importance of the upcoming Georgian elections before the European Council. He stressed that the future of the country is at stake. “In Georgia, we are witnessing a clear backsliding in democracy. The next elections are the moment of truth, and the Georgians will have to choose whether they want to move towards Europe or away from Europe,” Borell said to journalists.
The U.S. Helsinki Commission released a statement regarding the upcoming Georgian elections, calling on the Georgian government to “honor its obligations to their country and their citizens by holding fair and free elections.”
The European Court of Human Rights continues to fight against the Russian-style Foreign Agents Law after the country’s Constitutional Court declined to suspend it. Nona Kurdovanidze announced at a briefing that 16 media organizations, over 120 civil society groups, and four individuals will file a complaint jointly with the ECHR.
In an interview with POLITICO (a leading American newspaper), President Salome Zurabishvili claimed in an interview that Bidzina, the patron of the ruling party, may still have links to Moscow, or that they’ve grown closer. In an interview she also spoke about the risks of the country being isolated, the Russian threat and the “existential importance” of the upcoming election.
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted a statement on October 17 entitled “The Situation in Georgia” expressing deep concern over Georgia’s democratic backsliding and weakened human rights, mentioning anti-democratic Foreign Agents Law and anti LGBTI legislation. The declaration was passed with 76 votes for, 10 against and 6 abstentions.
The National Bank of Georgia (NBG), in an effort to support the national currency Lari (GEL), sold USD 64,9 million on 16 October. According to NBG large, one-time transaction continue to influence the foreign currency market, impacting Lari’s exchange rate. And fluctuations in the foreign currency market are not related to macroeconomic factors. The NBG sold $48.5million in an attempt to support the national currency.
The Daily Beat: Friday, 15 October
Read More @ civil.ge