**Georgian Delegation in PACE Faces Challenge**
The Georgian parliament‘s members are facing a problem abroad, just like they do at home. For the first time since Georgia joined the Council of Europe (CoE) in 1999, their delegation to the organization’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) is being questioned.
**A Swedish MP Speaks Out**
Boriana Åberg, a Swedish MP and member of the European People’s Party (EPP), challenged the Georgian delegation on January 27. She said that the Georgian parliament is controlled by one party, the Georgian Dream, and that the government is destroying democracy in Georgia.
**Conditions Attached to Ratification**
The next day, the PACE Monitoring Committee released a draft resolution proposing ratification of the Georgian delegation’s credentials, but with several important conditions. The document says that the Georgian authorities must announce new elections, resume EU integration, end police brutality, strengthen cooperation with the CoE, repeal controversial legislation, release political prisoners, and continue to engage fully with PACE.
**Opposition Forces Welcome Conditional Ratification**
The opposition forces in Georgia welcomed the conditional ratification proposal. They have been demanding new elections and the release of political prisoners. The leaders of the opposition parties said that their suggestions were taken into account and that the proposed decision is better than a simple non-ratification of the credentials.
**Pressure on GD to Fulfill Conditions**
If the draft resolution passes, the Georgian delegation will be ratified temporarily, but only if they fulfill the conditions set by PACE. The GD will have to announce new elections, release political prisoners, and continue to engage with PACE’s monitoring process. They will also be deprived of several rights in PACE.
**Amendments on the Table**
The Georgian delegation is pushing for changes that would allow easy ratification without conditions. However, some PACE members are pushing for a simple non-ratification of the credentials. The amendments will be debated today at the plenary session.
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