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The chairman of the parliamentary political group “European Socialists” Fridon Injia believes that there is no alternative to start a direct dialogue regarding the issue of restoring the country’s territorial integrity.

According to Fridon Injia, the main thing is to take concrete steps to restore the de-occupation and the territorial integrity of Georgia, and the adoption of resolutions does not bring any results.

At the session of the Bureau of the Parliament, the MP responded to the incident that took place on November 6 in the occupied territory near the village of Kirbali, Gori municipality, which resulted in the death of Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi.

At the session of the Parliament’s Bureau, a certain part of the opposition presented a draft resolution regarding this fact, where they demand the adoption of a resolution and a timely response to the fact that happened near the village of Kirbali.

“The fact that happened is sad. My condolences to Tamaz Gintur’s family. For our country, while the population is decreasing every year, even one person’s life is important.

Today, the main task for our country is the unification of the country and restoration of territorial integrity. During these 30 years, how many resolutions have been adopted at different international levels, but it has not brought any results.

We should realize that resolutions do not bring results and think whether this or that resolution will be beneficial or not, whether it will help the unification of our country, and we should not do it to please someone.

I think that the resolution can be adopted, but the main thing is to take concrete steps for de-occupation and return of Georgian lands. And the concrete steps for this, I believe that this is a dialogue. Direct dialogue, not resolutions. For 30 years, we have been at the level of resolutions, but we have no results”, said the MP.

The chairman of the political group “European Socialists” of the Parliament of Georgia, Fridon Injia, presented his own initiative at the session of the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee regarding the amendments to the Election Code, according to which persons without an electronic identification card will be able to use the right granted by the country’s constitution to participate in the elections and to state their political position.

“This initiative could bring out the “Georgian dream” as well.” Moreover, this is one of the demands of OSCE/ODIR. The presented amendment refers to those citizens of Georgia who still have a non-electronic identity card (personality that does not have a so-called chip – electronic carrier) certificate, who, according to the current election code, do not have the right to exercise the right to vote and participate in elections.

On March 3, 2022, Georgia submitted an application to join the European Union, and therefore, the European Union gave Georgia a task regarding the implementation of the 12-point recommendation, one of the important points of which was the changes to the Election Code.

It is worth noting that according to the Election Code in force today, only those persons who have electronic ID cards (identity card with an electronic information carrier) will have the right to participate in the elections of the Parliament of Georgia in October 2024, respectively, a citizen of Georgia who has a valid non-electronic ID card (identity card) a certificate that does not have an electronic carrier of information) will not be able to enjoy the right provided by the constitution (the right to vote) and will not have the opportunity to participate in the elections held in 2024 and thereafter.

This, in turn, implies that tens of thousands of people with Georgian citizenship will be restricted in their constitutional right to participate in the elections and to state their position,” Fridon Injia said.

According to the deputy, elections are a kind of institutional mechanism that democracy brings into action. In order to form a “government of the people”, the people must participate in politics, and the best way to do this is through elections.

“Free, universal and equal elections are the pillars of the democratic system. In order to achieve the mentioned goal, the legislator is obliged to create appropriate guarantees so that citizens have equal access to the elections and equal opportunity to influence its final results”, said the deputy.

According to the chairman of the political group, the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR report in December 2022 indicates that although electronic ID cards were issued in Georgia in 2011, some citizens still use valid non-electronic ID cards. Therefore, the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR emphasize the importance of the participation in elections of those who possess valid non-electronic identification cards.

Accordingly, the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR call on Georgia to take effective steps to implement relevant legislative changes in order to ensure the voting rights of these persons provided for in the Constitution.

“It is especially important to emphasize that many citizens have approached us regarding this issue and expressed a well-founded and reasoned opinion to implement such changes that will preserve their right to participate in the elections, pay off their citizenship debt and express their political position.

Also, it is worth noting that the Constitutional Court of Georgia in its decision of June 4, 2020 (No. 1/1/1404) indicated that the state is not exempted from the obligation to protect the interests of those who do not want to use electronic ID cards, due to their sincere religious objection. MP.

In addition, according to Fridon Injia, there are various international pacts to which Georgia has joined, which recognize and protect the right of every citizen to participate in the management of public affairs, in the process of voting and making choices.

“Therefore, we propose a specific amendment to the organic law of Georgia “Election Code of Georgia”, according to which amendments are made to Article 63, Clause 19 of the Code, Article 65, Clause 2, subparagraphs “a” and “b”, as well as Article 766 In subsection “g” of the first paragraph, it is determined that voting in elections and carrying out other appropriate procedures will also be possible with a valid non-electronic identity card of a citizen of Georgia (an identity card that does not have an electronic information carrier). – noted Fridon Injia.

According to the chairman of the political group, there are no specific statistics on this issue, but if even one person, even one voter, is without an electronic ID card, there should be a law that

At least, this one person will be given the means to use the right to vote granted by the constitution and participate in the elections.

At the meeting of the committee, the deputies supported the initiative presented by Fridon Injia on the changes in the election code in the first reading.

🔷 Chairman of the parliamentary political group “European Socialists” Fridon Injia called the fact that took place on November 6 in the occupied territory near the village of Kirbali of Gori municipality, which resulted in the loss of life of Georgian citizen Tamaz Gunturi, appalling.
The chairman of the political group believes that yesterday’s incident is a continuation of the great calamity that befell Georgia during the August 2008 war.
🔷 According to the MP, yesterday’s fact once again makes it clear that it is necessary and necessary to investigate and investigate all aspects of the events of the August 2008 war.
🔷 “I cannot help responding to yesterday’s horrifying fact. Another of our compatriots was killed. First of all, I would like to express my condolences to the family of the deceased and to the whole of Georgia.
🔷 Criminals should be punished. Whoever does not want to take it. Those who contribute to the loss of innocent lives.
🔷 A few months ago, we initiated a proposal to create an investigative commission regarding the events of the August 2008 war. “Yesterday’s fact is one of the manifestations of the tragic events that started from 2008 until today, and nobody knows what will happen tomorrow,” said Fridon Injia.
🔷 The MP believes that it should be investigated as soon as possible who committed the crime and temporarily removed its indigenous region from Georgia. The ruling party should make a decision and support the creation of an investigative commission. All criminals must be exposed.
🔷 “I believe that it should be promptly investigated who committed the crime and temporarily separated this region from Georgia, where the situation is uncontrolled and people’s lives are still being lost. This issue should be resolved as soon as possible. The ruling party should make a decision and support the creation of an investigative commission. All criminals must be exposed. May God grant that ways will be found, be it a format of dialogue or other methods, except by force, so that such calamity does not happen again in Georgia,” said the deputy.
🔷 The chairman of the political group blames the previous government for the events of the August 2008 war.
🔷 “This is the responsibility of the “National Movement”, which was in power in 2008. It was because of their indolence and in many cases their criminal actions that what happened happened. They could not prevent the country from war, nor did they take measures that would not lead to this tragic outcome. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the truth, what was the reason, what decisions and based on whose decisions a number of districts, villages, cities were transferred to the Russian Federation”. – said the deputy.
🔷 According to Fridon Injia, in the context of the creation of the temporary parliamentary investigative commission, there is no discussion of the decision made by the Hague International Court regarding the 2008 war. Here are the aspects and issues on which the Hague International Court has not discussed and has not made a decision.
🔷 “We are not referring to the Hague International Court, we are referring to and are interested in, for example, how the surrender of Kodori Gorge, the surrender of Akhalgori, the transfer of the equipment that our partners – the United States of America, or various European countries – gave to Georgia. The creation of the commission is necessary and necessary so that this government does not make similar mistakes and our future knows who was guilty.
“The international court has not investigated how our military forces left Kodori, who gave the order, how Akhalgori was handed over to the Russian Federation, how our fellow citizens died.” – noted the deputy.
🔷 The chairman of the political group believes that by all parameters and arguments, Georgia should have received the candidate status a year ago, but Georgia could not receive the candidate status due to various reasons. This reason was primarily political.
🔷 “It was a political decision not to give Georgia the status of a candidate country for the European Union. I think that the European Union and its member countries had an opportunity to think that Georgia is really a key country in Transcaucasia, and the summit held in Tehran a few days ago (3+3 format) and the information that was announced there, that without Georgia It becomes impossible to implement such global projects as “One Belt One Road” in the form of the Middle Corridor project, or global development projects adopted in Transcaucasia and our region in the “3+3 format”.
🔷 Therefore, giving Georgia the status of a candidate country is one of the most important things for Georgia to continue its progress and development,” Fridon Injia believes.
🔷 In response to the journalist’s question, why there is a difference of opinion in the radical opposition regarding the granting of EU candidate country status to Georgia, Fridon Injia said that the radical opposition

The process of lustration is disturbed, which will continue in the future.
🔷 “Representatives of the radical opposition often change their thoughts and positions. They felt some positive changes regarding the granting of candidate status and immediately changed their position. Self-lustration took place and I am sure that some time will pass and there will be more self-lustration facts, not just one. The same can be said about the “national movement”, where they are divided into groups and their politics are clearly visible, because they do not have a leader. Their leader is in prison and he has no prospect of release yet. Therefore, everyone there considers themselves a leader.” – said the deputy.