In the end, it is up to Georgia’s leaders and political parties to restoreGeorgia’s democratic reputation and earn the confidence of their constituents. Thepeople of Georgia deserve no less, - stated Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Kara McDonald, in her testimony at Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation’s hearing "Bolstering Democracy in Georgia".

As McDonald noted, the ruling party concentration of power in state institutions and judicials cases widely considered as politically motivated, along with other issues, undermine confidence in Georgia's democracy. McDonald also referred to last year's parliamentary elections, noting that according to the OSCE / ODIHR, although the elections were competitive, it had flaws, among which are "allegations of irregularities, voter pressure, a blurring of the border between the ruling party and the state, and a lack of effective legal redress for election complaints".

"The people of Georgia must have confidence in the electoral process and their elected leaders, and deserve a swift resolution of the impasse. To that end, the U.S. government is engaged in intensive efforts behind-the-scenes, as my colleague described, to engage the Georgian Dream and opposition parties in a results-driven dialogue. We are also urging the government to fully implement the OSCE’s election reform recommendations, and our assistance, including USAID’s work with Georgia’s political parties, domestic nonpartisan monitoring groups, and the Central Electoral Commission, and DRL’s support to citizen dialogue with the parties on electoral reforms, supports that goal.

Politicization of the judiciary; detentions, investigations, and prosecutions widely considered to be politically motivated; and insufficient accountability for the Georgian police use of force against protesters and journalists in 2019, also contribute to democratic vulnerability and reduce Georgia’s resilience to stress on its democratic institutions.

We continue to urge judicial reform and provide technical assistance to the courts so that they may serve as a check on executive branch abuses and curb ruling party dominance of the judiciary. This includes the undue influence of powerful judges on other judges, and use of the disciplinary, promotion, and appointment system to exert influence on judges. Such dynamics also raise the risk of vulnerability to corruption. USAID assistance supports judicial reform, and the development of an independent, accountable, and people-centered justice system. That assistance also builds the capacity of the judicial corps and improves access to justice for underrepresented communities. Georgia’s judiciary should be independent and protective of all Georgians, regardless of party.

Finally, I want to say a word about pressure on civil society and select media, and access to information, all essential elements of democracy. Georgia suffers from a significant deterioration in the ruling party’s conduct toward respected civil society leaders, and an increasingly polarized national media environment that undermines opportunities for compromise, power-sharing, and consensus.

Disinformation and misinformation, both domestic and foreign, fuel division among Georgian communities. This is why the United States supports programming to strengthen independent and free media, and counter disinformation through informed media campaigns, media literacy, and building Georgia’s capacity to protect its information space.

The vulnerabilities I outlined play to Russia’s interests and open the door for other influences harmful to the Georgian people’s choice of a democratic path.

Restoration of Georgia’s role as a regional model of democratic development is becoming more and more urgent. We will work intensively with Georgia to bolster its democratic institutions and processes, their effectiveness and independence, and the ability of media and civil society to operate freely and contribute to democratic resilience. In the end, it is up to Georgia’s leaders and political parties to restore Georgia’s democratic reputation and earn the confidence of their constituents. The people of Georgia deserve no less", - reads the part of McDonald's testimony.