Opposition ‘surprised’ by ruling party’s response to protests

The leader of the European Georgia opposition party Giga Bokeria has stated that he is surprised by the response of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party to current protests in Tbilisi, as the ruling party accused the opposition of staging provocations and stirring unrest.

The statement is surprising as it was the ruling party which promised a fully proportional electoral system starting in 2020 and then broke its promise which stirred the ongoing unrest,” Bokeria said.

He stated that the ruling party “continues to ignore” the public view and they [the GD] “will receive an answer for this.”

Bidzina Ivanishvili [the founder and head of the ruling party] and his slaves still have the chance to ease the current tension. Very soon they might not have a chance to ease the political crises,” Bokeria said.

Member of the United National Movement opposition party Tina Bokuchava said that the “ruling party is frightened,” adding that the only way to ease the current tension is snap parliamentary elections with a fully proportional electoral system, conducted by an interim government.

Parliament building has been blocked by demonstrators after the rejection of the election bill. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agende.ge. 

The ruling party has refused to discuss any new initiatives regarding the electoral system, responding to the protests in Tbilisi demanding a fully proportional electoral system from 2020.

Secretary General of the ruling party, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has stated after a party meeting earlier today that the 2020 parliamentary elections will be held with a mixed-electoral system, as parliament rejected the ruling party proposed bill on the move to the fully proportional elections last Thursday.

He stated that the “United National Movement opposition and its branches” stand behind current protests in Tbilisi as “the parties have no public support and wish unrest to somehow return to power.”

The ruling party accepted the conduct of 2020 parliamentary elections on a fully proportional system amid the June public protests in Tbilisi, as it was one of the three demands of demonstrators to stop rallies.

The ruling party proposed bill on holding 2020 parliamentary elections per a fully proportional voting system and a zero per cent entry threshold was scrapped last week as only 101 MPs voted for it instead of mandatory 113 in the 150-member parliament [40 ruling party MPs did not vote for the bill].