The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is concerned with the opposition has boycotted the new Parliament of Georgia.

The annual report reads that the shortcomings were revealed in the last parliamentary elections in Georgia. The Assembly urges all political parties to take up the seats they won in the new parliament and not to undermine its democratic functioning.

“Regrettably, the opposition parties, alleging widespread fraud, announced that they would boycott the second round and the new parliament. It is especially regrettable given that the results for opposition parties in these elections would give them a strong position to execute parliamentary oversight. Parliament is the place for the conduct of politics and debate, and the Assembly has therefore consistently opposed parliamentary boycotts. In the best interest of the country, all political parties are therefore urged to take up their parliamentary mandates”, - reads the report.