Opposition announces large rally, re-blocking of parliament

The leader of the European Georgia opposition party David Bakradze has announced a “large-scale” rally on Monday, November 25 in front of parliament, adding that demonstrators will ‘peacefully block the entrances’ of the legislative body on November 26.

He said that demonstrations protesting the rejection of the election bill on the transition to a fully proportional electoral system will take place every day.

However, on November 25 the opposition and their supporters will gather on Rose Square and join demonstrators standing in front of parliament, on Rustaveli Avenue, later that day. On the next day peaceful demonstrators will prevent the parliament from working”, Bakradze said.

He stated that the opposition “is not happy” about blocking the parliament activities. However, “the current state leadership has left no other way when they broke their promise [concerning] fully proportional elections.”

The opposition says that rallies will continue until the current state leadership allows a fully proportional voting system for 2020 parliamentary elections: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge. 

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze responded that the government will act in line with the law and “take appropriate steps,” if the work of the legislative body is hampered again.

Police dispersed a rally on November 18 with the use of water cannons after warning the demonstrators about upcoming dispersal as “protesters violated the 9th article of the law on manifestation,” which bans blocking the entrances of parliament and hampering the work of the legislative body. 

The protests in Tbilisi were sparked after the rejection of the election bill last week, proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, offering the transition to a fully proportional electoral system from 2020 instead of 2024.

The ruling party accepted the changes in the summer, during the June protests in Tbilisi, to calm crowds.