OSCE PA president postpones Georgia visit amid widespread criticism

Pia Kauma, the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), has postponed her visit to Georgia following criticism across the political spectrum, including both the local opposition and international partners.

‘Following discussions and after close consideration, I've decided to postpone visiting Georgia until a time that the [OSCE PA’s] engagement would be most effective’, Kauma wrote on X on Monday.

The last-minute cancellation followed an outpouring of condemnation.

Kauma’s visit was first announced by Latvian MEP Rihards Kols, who said earlier in January  that the president of the OSCE PA ‘is planning a delegation visit to Georgia on January 8-10’, which he described as ‘a disastrous and ill-timed move’.

A number of MEPs along with other politicians from Georgia’s Western partners were quick to call on Kauma to postpone her visit.

Kols said Kauma’s proposed visit coincides with the consolidation of power by ruling Georgian Dream party’s founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, ‘through Russian-style preventive arrests, draconian laws, violent suppression of protests, and in the aftermath of elections that, while generally free, failed the two other principles of legitimate elections — they were neither fair nor transparent’.

‘Many delegations are outraged, and rightfully so. Such a visit would hand the regime a propaganda victory, legitimising an autocracy-in-the-making while critically undermining [OSCE PA’s]credibility’.

Kols stated that if Kauma ‘feels so strongly’  about the visit in Georgia, she should undertake it in a private capacity and ‘not as a representative of one of the oldest and most prominent institutions of international democratic cooperation — funded by taxpayers who would overwhelmingly oppose such spineless and unprincipled moves’.

Today is the 40th day since the beginning of the ongoing protest against the Georgian government’s recent actions, including the EU U-turn.

Ahead of cancellation, Kauma was urged ‘NOT to go to Tbilisi at this time’

US Representative Joe Wilson, who is one of the most outspoken critics of Georgian Dream in Congress, and has referred to the current government as ‘illegitimate’ called on Sunday on Kauma to cancel her visit to Tbilisi.

Wilson said Kauma’s  visit would be used by Georgian Dream as a means of ‘legitimising its tenuous grasp on power’.

Earlier, several Georgian opposition groups including Unity – National Movement, Coalition for Change, and Strong Georgia, published a letter to Kauma, saying her visit to Georgia would be considered appropriate ‘only if it facilitates a conducive environment for meaningful steps from the self- proclaimed regime of Georgian Dream towards resolving the political crisis namely, the release of all political prisoners and concrete steps for preparing the new parliamentary elections’.

The parties argued that under these circumstances, postponing Kauma’s visit would be the best decision.

Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the For Georgia opposition party also addressed Kauma in a separate letter, saying that her visit to Tbilisi ‘risks unintended consequences for the Georgian people’s fight for democracy and European future. Read our open letter urging reconsideration’.

Self-declared interim President Salome Zourabichvili weighed in as well, writing on Sunday that ‘such an ill timed visit will not help to solve the crisis, only elections can!’.

Following the announcement of the cancellation, Zourabichvili said it was a ‘very wise decision’.

Last month, when Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset visited Georgia and met with the high-ranking members of the ruling Georgian Dream party along with opposition groups, NGOs and civil society representatives, his visit was heavily criticised because of the timing and results.

Berset has stated that the Georgian government has promised to amend the content of the controversial foreign agent law, and said that a working group would be established by representatives of Georgia and the Council of Europe.

Berset said that the working group will include the Venice Commission.

Kavelashvili takes presidential oath as Zourabichvili condemns inauguration as a ‘parody’

Media was prohibited from taking photos or videoing the ceremony, which also featured no foreign diplomats.

OC MediaShota Kincha