Open Government Partnership in Georgia – Evaluation of a Legislative Body

Tengiz Bakuridze

Abstract


In the present study, we explored the activities of the Open Government Council from its creation to the present day, covering the period from 2015 to 2024. Throughout this period, the Council developed five action plans encompassing numerous ambitious plans and commitments. Until 2020, work plans and processes in terms of civic engagement progressed smoothly, and Georgia deservedly held advanced positions compared to Western countries, both in terms of openness, transparency and the development of modern technologies.
Based on interviews with experts and document analysis, it was found that since 2020, the ruling authorities have labelled international organizations, civil society, and non-governmental organizations as enemies. The Georgian Dream shifted away from its established political course, which was based on openness and transparency, and began to demonize and marginalize members of civil society actively. The activities of the Open Parliamentary Council also became nearly impossible, as the Parliament no longer took into account their well-founded comments or recommendations regarding what should be included in the Parliament's upcoming work plan.
The relationship between the Georgian Dream and civil society organizations was severed. Soon after, the organizations left the Advisory Council, as well as the OGP platform, and there is a risk that the partnership itself will leave Georgia due to democratic backsliding. The lack of civic engagement was reflected in the Parliament's 2024 Action Plan, in which civil society did not participate.
As part of the study, a comparative analysis was conducted with North Macedonia, which joined open parliamentary governance in 2018. North Macedonia's experience is particularly interesting because they began working on these processes three years after Georgia, and today both countries find themselves in nearly identical positions.
Keywords: Parliament of Georgia, open governance, parliamentarism.

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References


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