Georgia, Tbilisi, July 16 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia /
The local elections in Georgia are a step forward, but much remains to be done, PACE Monitoring Committee Rapporteur on Georgia Kastriot Islami said. The PACE mission summed up the results of their four-day visit to Georgia today at the Council of Europe in Tbilisi.
There are still many "challenges to be overcome" to ensure that democratic electoral standards are fully complied with, Islami said.
While assessing constitutional and electoral reform, he added that they have been initiated successfully.
"However, the public, press, and political forces must be involved in this process more actively," he stressed.
Islami also noted that "substantial changes" must be made to ensure the independence of the judiciary system.
Regarding ethnic minorities in the country, Islami praised the government's efforts to integrate them into society, stressing that the major issue is the language barrier.
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