Two Lithuanian parties ask European political families to respond to situation in Georgia

VILNIUS – The opposition Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD) and the non-parliamentary Freedom Party have urged their European political families to take action in response to the situation in Georgia.

The HU-LCD said on Tuesday that Radvile Morkunaite-Mikuleniene, the conservative party's interim chairwoman, has called on the European People's Party (EPP) to "take leadership and support Georgians fighting for the country's European path and seeking fair new elections". 

The HU-LCD presidium also supported this appeal by a majority vote, according to the press release. 

The letter proposes tough action at national level, in the European Council and in other international formats against the ruling Georgian Dream party and its billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili. 

Morkunaite-Mikuleniene suggests that European partners refrain from recognizing the Georgian government, parliament, and its elected president.

"The appeal proposes recognizing Georgia's incumbent president, Salome Zourabichvili, as the country's only legitimate elected leader until new elections are held," the party's interim leader was quoted as saying in the press release.

"The HU-LCD calls for new parliamentary elections in Georgia to restore legitimate governance and urges the formation of a high-level EU mission to be immediately dispatched to prepare for new parliamentary elections under the direct supervision of the OSCE, the EU, and other international organizations," she said.  

The letter calls for increased pressure on Georgia's current authorities, suggests that the European Commission and the European Council review all EU measures in its relations with Georgian Dream, and urges the suspension of all national and international financial assistance and specific development cooperation programs with state institutions controlled by the ruling party.

Meanwhile, the Lithuanian Freedom Party has reached out to the European liberal party family, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), urging them "to respond to the erosion of democracy in Georgia."

"The Freedom Party points out that Lithuanian state leaders' moderate stance on this issue may create room for Russia's influence in the region to grow. This also poses a direct threat to Lithuania's national security, which is why it is necessary to strengthen coordination of actions at the national and international levels," the party said in a press release.

The Freedom Party calls on liberal European parties, through members of national parliaments, governments and the European Parliament, not to recognize Georgia's elected parliament and its appointed president, to impose targeted sanctions on officials responsible "for electoral fraud, political persecution, and human rights violations," to launch international investigations into "election fraud and the suppression of civil society in Georgia," to redirect funds allocated to Georgian institutions toward supporting civil society and democratic initiatives, and to back the organization of free and fair elections under the supervision of international monitors.

Tens of thousands of people have regularly taken to the streets in Georgia since the ruling party decided to halt EU accession talks in late November.  Police have increasingly resorted to force and intimidation tactics to disperse the protests.

For the first time, Georgia's president was not directly elected by voters. Instead, the president was chosen in December by an electoral college controlled by Georgian Dream. The ruling party thus strengthened its hold on power following October's elections, which the opposition claims were rigged with Russia's help.

Western nations, including Lithuania, have imposed sanctions on Georgia's officials and members of the Georgian Dream party over human rights violations.