Representative Schwartz Leads a Delegation to HDAC Partner Nation Georgia

The House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) sent a delegation of five House members to Georgia from December 17 to 20, 2008. The trip marked the Commission's 13th congressional delegation since its establishment in 2005. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) led the group, which included Reps. David Dreier (R-CA), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Bill Shuster (R-PA).

This was the third visit to Georgia by an HDAC delegation since April 2007. It was also the first visit by an HDAC delegation since the country's conflict with Russia in August 2008 and the May 2008 parliamentary elections.

HDAC has partnered with the Georgian Parliament to focus on strengthening its oversight role vis-à-vis the executive branch, improving capacity for independent research and budget analysis, determining an appropriate role for opposition political parties, and enhancing the Parliament's information technology backbone. The delegation conducted meetings continuing work on each of these themes.

The delegation's first meeting was with the special Investigative Commission of the Parliament on August Events. The delegation discussed the Parliament's assertion of its oversight power and responsibilities in the wake of the August conflict. One of HDAC's chief goals in working with the Georgian Parliament has been to encourage the body to exercise stronger oversight over the executive.

The delegation also met with the leadership of the Georgian Parliament, along with members of the Parliament's foreign relations and defense committees and the multi-party committee created to oversee foreign aid distribution. The delegation also met with opposition members to discuss the Parliament's recent efforts to enhance the opposition's voice and rights. HDAC members indicated their support for these reforms and pledged their continued assistance and cooperation with their Georgian counterparts.

The U.S. lawmakers also met with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, and the Georgian Finance and Foreign Ministers. In addition, the Schwartz delegation conducted a site visit to a housing settlement for internally displaced persons in Tserovani, and met with representatives of Gori University and with Vladimir Vardzelashvili, Governor of the Shida Kartli, a region centered on Gori that was seriously affected by the August conflict with Russia.