Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Georgia for a fourth consecutive day, protesting the government’s decision to suspend European Union (EU) membership talks. Despite the unrest, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has firmly rejected calls for early elections.<\/p>\n
The political crisis in Georgia has deepened following the October 26 parliamentary elections, which the pro-EU opposition has claimed were rigged. Opposition parties have boycotted the new parliament, amplifying backlash against the ruling Georgian Dream party.<\/p>\n
President Salome Zurabishvili has requested the Constitutional Court to annul the election results, labeling the government “illegitimate.” The Georgian Dream party secured 53.93% of the vote in these elections. However, both the EU and United States have refused to recognize the results, citing numerous violations, including administrative abuses, vote-buying, and voter suppression.<\/p>\n
During the protests, the Georgian Interior Ministry reported that approximately 150 people were arrested, though the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association claimed the figure was closer to 200. Law enforcement deployed rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons in an attempt to disperse demonstrators.<\/p>\n
Protesters gathered outside the parliament building on Sunday evening, waving EU and Georgian flags. While some clashed with police, launching fireworks and stones, others used metal gates to make noise at the building\u2019s entrance.<\/p>\n
Levan Khabeishvili, leader of the opposition United National Movement, reported being attacked by around 15 masked policemen but managed to escape with the help of demonstrators.<\/p>\n
Rejection of early election calls<\/strong><\/p>\n Prime Minister Kobakhidze dismissed opposition demands for early elections. Instead, the ruling party nominated former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili for the largely symbolic post of president.<\/p>\n President Zurabishvili has vowed not to step down until the disputed parliamentary elections are rerun, describing herself as the “only legitimate institution in the country.” She emphasized her role in upholding legitimacy:<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no legitimate parliament, so an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a new president. My mandate is valid until there is a legitimate parliament to elect my successor. I stand with you, and I will remain with you.\u201d<\/p>\n The crackdown has drawn criticism from the international community. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis announced that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania would impose sanctions on those responsible for suppressing peaceful protests.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller condemned the “excessive use of force” by Georgian authorities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Georgia for a fourth consecutive day, protesting the government’s decision to suspend European Union (EU) membership talks. Despite the unrest, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has firmly rejected calls for early elections. The political crisis in Georgia has deepened following the October 26 parliamentary elections, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6493,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[712,610,3143,4042,4043,1322,4044],"class_list":["post-6492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","tag-elections","tag-eu","tag-georgian-dream","tag-irakli-kobakhidze","tag-mikheil-kavelashvili","tag-protest","tag-salome-zurabishvili"],"yoast_head":"\n