We would like to comment on the statements concerning the selection of the Public Defender and call on Parliament of Georgia to ensure the participation of civil society in the process of selecting the country's main defender of human rights.

As it is commonly known, according to the law, only parliamentary factions and groups consisting of at least six MPs who are not affiliated with factions have the formal right to nominate a candidate for the post of the Public Defender of Georgia. Despite this, civic organizations have always participated in the discussions and debates around the election of the Public Defender.

As we know, after the elections, Parliament of Georgia will start the process of selecting the Public Defender. It is our opinion that participation of interested persons in this process is particularly important. Many documents, including the Open Parliament Action Plan, envisage an active engagement of the civil society in the decision-making process. Such promises become important precisely during processes such as the election of the Public Defender.

Correspondingly, we call on Parliament of Georgia and, especially, on the parliamentary majority to ensure that human rights organizations, universities and civil society are involved in the process of electing the Public Defender.

Signatory organizations:

1. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED)

2. Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA)

3. Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF)

4. Transparency International Georgia

5. Civil Development Agency (Cida)

6. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI)

7. Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC)

8. Human Rights and Monitoring Center (EMC)

9. Article 42 of the Constitution

10. Liberal Academy

11. Public Movement Multinational Georgia (PMMG)

12. Human Rights Center

13. Public Movement “Multinational Georgia”