Georgia’s opposition refuses to meet OSCE chief

Georgia’s opposition bloc, the Coalition for Change, has declined a meeting with OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu during his official visit to Tbilisi, citing concerns over the organisation’s approach amid what it calls a “deepening political crisis.”

In a public statement, the coalition criticised the Secretary General for meeting exclusively with members of the ruling Georgian Dream party, without addressing alleged democratic backsliding in the country.

“The OSCE leadership’s silence on the grave political situation is already being exploited by the authorities as part of a wider propaganda campaign,” the coalition said, accusing the government of “systemic election manipulation, political detentions, and violent crackdowns on peaceful demonstrators.”

The coalition argued that the visit may inadvertently lend legitimacy to a government it considers illegitimate.

The OSCE/ODIHR’s own findings cited serious electoral violations that, according to observers, damaged public trust in the process.

“This is not the time for ambiguous diplomacy,” the opposition said.
“We have informed our international partners – including OSCE member states – that genuine consistency is essential for restoring democracy in Georgia.”

According to the coalition, several member states have already triggered the Vienna Mechanism – a diplomatic tool used in cases of serious human rights concerns – in response to the situation in Georgia. The mechanism has previously been applied to Belarus and Russia.

Sinirlioğlu, who arrived in Tbilisi on April 22, held meetings with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, President Mikheil Kavelashvili, and other senior officials.

The visit has sparked criticism abroad as well. US Congressman Joe Wilson, co-chair of the Helsinki Commission, urged Sinirlioğlu to reconsider the trip, warning that it could be interpreted as endorsing the Georgian Dream government’s contested actions.

The OSCE Secretary General, a former Turkish foreign minister and diplomat, also visited Moscow in March, where he suggested the possibility of renewed cooperation with Russia on matters of regional security.