Opposition coalition protesting election result
Opposition leaders have offered the government to form a working group until December 16 to address the 'crisis situation'. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Opposition coalition Strength in Unity is protesting the results of the Georgian presidential election which resulted in the victory of pro-government candidate Salome Zurabishvili on Rustaveli Avenue.
Zurabishvili received 59.52 per cent of votes while Vashadze received 40.48 per cent of votes at the presidential election runoff on November 28.
The opposition says they do not recognise the results of the elections and demand early parliamentary elections.
“These have not been elections. This was a criminal special operation against the Georgian people,” Grigol Vashadze told several thousands of supporters at the demonstration adding that the opposition is preparing a suit with its lawyers to demand the cancellation of the presidential elections results in the court.
Photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Ex-president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili who has been actively involved in the election campaign of Grigol Vashadze from abroad and called on UNM supporters to start a ‘civil disobedience movement’ on November 28, has also addressed protesters on Rustaveli Avenue via a Skype call today.
He promised he will fight next to the opposition supporters ‘as soon as they decide so.’
Photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
The number of opposition supporters at today’s rally has been a hot discussion topic among social media users in Georgia.
The drone shot by Public Broadcaster during the opposition rally on the left, on the right - crowd near the tribune, photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Agenda.ge’s reporters have estimated the number of people using classical method based on metrics of the square of the area and the density of the crowd. Through our calculations, we believe that the number of supporters gathered at today's rally is up to 8,000.
The Strength in Unity opposition coalition does not recognise the results of the elections held on November 28 and demands snap parliamentary elections. The Georgian Dream ruling party endorsed presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili received 59.52 per cent of the vote and became the first woman president elected in Georgia and the region.
The President of the International Republican Institute (IRI) Daniel Twining recommends political powers in Georgia to start preparing for the 2020 parliamentary elections instead of organising protest rallies.
Foreign leaders and countries continue to congratulate Georgian President-elect Salome Zurabishvili on her victory.
Georgian Prime Minister has responded to a planned opposition rally on Sunday and stated that if anyone at the manifestation tries to create destabilization, they will be held accountable within the law.
Georgian President-elect Salome Zurabishvili had told the international media that Russia has to be held accountable for its aggression in Georgia and Ukraine.
One Georgian and six Ukrainian citizens were detained in Tbilisi yesterday.Their weapons have been seized and the Georgian Interior Ministry is investigating possible links between the detainees and the current, post-election political situation in Georgia.
Former opposition presidential candidate Grigol Vashadze has stated that the opposition will hold a “peaceful rally” in Telavi on 16 December, where the presidential inauguration ceremony will be held on the day.
One Georgian and four Ukrainian citizens who were among seven people detained in Tbilisi on 2 December 2018 for the illegal purchase and possession of weapons and ammunition, were released on bail by a Tbilisi city court yesterday.