Protesters welcome ruling party decision to hold 2020 elections on proportional system, continue rallying

The demonstrators in front of the parliament of Georgia have welcomed the Georgian Dream ruling party's announcement to conduct the 2020 parliamentary elections on the proportional electoral system alone, which has been one of their top demands.

Monday's peaceful demonstration ended at around 12 a.m. with the protesters, mainly youth, marching around the parliament of Georgia holding hands and singing the national anthem. 

Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge

Calling everyone to rejoin them every day at 7 p.m. on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi, the organisers say their other demands still need to be fulfilled. These are: 

• the resignation of Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia
• the release of people detained during the Thursday's clash
• the punishment of police officers who used excessive force 

Meanwhile Minister Gakharia requested parliament to allow him speak about the June 20-21 developments and rallies in Tbilisi at the parliament’s plenary session on Tuesday.

Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge

The five days of rallies followed initial smaller-sized protests in the noon on June 20, when political opposition and citizens demanded repercussions for the government for letting a Russian delegation to Tbilisi for an international event hosted by Georgia.

Protesters expressed their anger at seeing a Russian State Duma MP speak from the Georgian parliament speaker's chair as Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), two Georgian regions, are occupied by the Russian military.