PACE calls on all political parties to claim seats in Parliament By Veronika Malinboym Monday, January 18 On January, 11 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe released a report on the progress made by 14 countries in 2020, including that of Georgia. While the report applauded the effort made to achieve the March 2020 agreement and the shift towards a more proportionate election system, it has also noted that despite the agreement, the political climate in Georgia remains polarised and contentious. In its report, PACE is calling for all political parties to take up their seats in Parliament and to ensure its democratic functioning. PACE report also notes that the decision of the opposition bloc to boycott the seats is especially unfortunate because joining the Parliament would provide it with a much more significant political leverage. The report has also referenced the findings of the International Society for Free and Fair Elections (ISFED), Transparency International, and the international observation missions, all of which concluded that the October 2020 Parliamentary Elections were competitive and were held in a way that respected fundamental freedoms and the parties ability to campaign freely. Nevertheless, the report also notes the uneven playing field and abuse of the administrative resource that was determined by the international monitoring organizations.