Georgian delegation walks out of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly vote in protest

Georgia's delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly refused to take part in a vote and left the session in protest, saying parts of an amended declaration distorted the political situation in the country and misrepresented facts.

Nikoloz Samkharadze, chairman of the Georgian parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, said the delegation would not participate in the voting process because the text threatened Georgia's national interests.

"Certain parts of the amended version of the declaration deliberately distort the political reality in Georgia, grossly misrepresent and falsify facts, completely ignore violent attacks on state institutions and arbitrarily interpret election observation reports and reports under the Moscow Mechanism," Samkharadze said.

"Because this threatens Georgia's national interests, our delegation will not take part in the voting process as a sign of protest."

He said it was "doubly regrettable" that the delegation had to take such a decision in The Hague, which he described as the capital of international law.

"I would like to ask the secretariat to properly reflect our position in the minutes of the assembly session," Samkharadze said.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted a critical resolution on Georgia prepared by US Congressman Joe Wilson.