Georgia's ex-PM Kvirikashvili: ‘Gov’t made severe mistake, was late to admit’

Georgia’s ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili responded to the June 20 developments in front of the parliament building in central Tbilisi, saying “the government has made a severe mistake, to which it admitted, but was late with its political response.”

He said a part of the opposition has used the situation to direct the fair wave of protest into a “dangerous and destructive way”, which resulted in “the more severe mistake [of the state]” of using rubber bullets against some protesters last night.

• Demonstrations start in central Tbilisi, Interior Minister given time to resign

Kvirikashvili also noted that there was “unjustified attack“ from protesters to police, while trying to break the police cordon last night.

He also believes that today’s resignation of Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze may only temporarily chill down the protest wave.

People had gathered in front of the parliament of Georgia on June 20 to protest a Russian delegation's visit to Georgia. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge

To “bring the situation out of the deadlock” Kvirikashvili advises the ruling party and in particular its leader Bidzina Ivanishvili to “immediately announce a political reform” to:

1. hold the next year’s parliamentary elections in a fully proportional way;
2. make voting in elections mandatory for the citizens of Georgia.

Kvirikashvili also suggests that the ruling party should announce snap parliamentary elections and calls on the Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia to take political responsibility over those injured during yesterday’s clash and resign.

This is how the Georgian Dream will manage to preserve public trust not only for the political processes, but also keep the opportunity of leading these processes”, Kvirikashvili wrote on his official Facebook page.

He concluded that this would let Georgia retain its positions on the “western orbit” as the regional leader as well.