United opposition plans large-scale demonstrations in regions

“All against one” is the slogan under which the opposition will start marching on Rustaveli Street in Kutaisi and finish with a rally at Kutaisi City Hall on December 6. 

Opposition leaders agreed that a rally with the citizens will be held in all major cities of Georgia.

Opposition and civic activists have been protesting the rejection of an electoral reform bill since November 14. The rallies and controversies began after parliament failed to approve the election bill initiated by GD.

The protest rallies that started in the capital soon covered the regions too.

The activists of opposition party United National Movement (UNM) have attempted to invade the office of majoritarian MP Anzor Bolkvadze in Khulo, Adjara region of Georgia today, but police prevented them and made a cordon between demonstrators  at the office.

Opposition leaders and civil activists plan one more “large-scale” rally in Tbilisi, on 9th of December. Photo: 1TV.ge.

The rally members mentioned that Anzor Bolkvadze is among the lawmakers who are responsible for the failure of the bill proposed by the Georgian Dream (GD) ruling party to change the electoral system to a fully proportional one.

GD supporters organized a demonstration against the UNM yesterday, in the town of Zugdidi, Georgia’s western Samegrelo region. The demonstrators marched to the party office and threw eggs  at the building.

The demonstrators said that violence is unacceptable to them and ‘Zugdidi will never allow the return of Mikeil Saakashvili’s (ex-president of Georgia)  regime.

Public defender noted that the only solution is a political consensus between political parties and society. Photo: IPN.ge.

This was not the first confrontation between protesters in Zugdidi.  November 24 rally ended with physical and verbal confrontation between the demonstrators and United Opposition’s election office members.

So-called ‘locking’ demonstrations [the demonstrators lock the gates of state bodies] also covered other regions of the country.

Members of UNM locked the main entrance door of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, calling ‘slaves’ to the Majority MPs.

Opposition officials and civic activists locked the office of the Majority MP, parliament speaker Archil Talakvadze in Ozurgeti. The demonstration ended with physical and verbal confrontation after the GD supporters and police appeared at the scene.

Archil Talakvadze responded the incident saying that the government trusts the citizens, respects any choice that the society will make in the 2020 elections.

“Attempts to block state institutions are beyond peaceful demonstrations and the government will react properly”, - said Talakvadze.

• Police disperse rally at parliament again, 28 detained

Public defender Nino Lomjaria has also responded to the current political situation in the country. She noted that demonstrations, contractions and dispersing the rallies by police in not the solution. Violent confrontations will bring the country into a deeper crisis.

Lomjaria noted that the only solution is a political consensus between political parties and society.

“We should think about how to move to the proportional electoral system or, at least, think of alternative electoral model, that will make the election process fairer for the ruling party and opposition”, said Nino Lomjaria.

Opposition leaders and civil activists plan one more “large-scale” rally in Tbilisi, on 9th of December.