Tbilisi City Hall begins renovation of parliament yard, opposition says it’s to hamper protests
Tbilisi City Hall has already erected fences around the territory which will be renovated.Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has stated earlier today that the outer area of the Georgian parliament building in central Tbilisi, which is the main location for demonstrators in the country, will be closed for some time for renovation work.
The opposition says that the decision aims to prevent protests related to the 2020 election issue, which began in Tbilisi in November 2019.
Kaladze says that the area “is in the utmost need of renovation; the pavement must be replaced, a memorial and fountains should be renovated.”
Once the work is complete, it will be one of the most beautiful locations in the capital,” Kaladze said, stating that the decision to carry out the renovation work was made in “May or June of 2019.”
Kaladze did not say when the work will be completed.
Member of European Georgia opposition party Elene Khoshtaria says that the government is “frightened and they are making inappropriate decisions.”
Protests will continue anyway at parliament and other locations,” she said.
Earlier this week the opposition announced ‘large-scale protests’ and re-blocking of the parliament building in the capital to convince the government to hold the 2020 elections via a proportional electoral system.
The opposition and civil activists , who have been protesting for two weeks due to parliament’s rejection of the ruling party’s proposed election bill, have announced a 'large rally' at parliament when MPs will be scheduled to vote on a 20-person list of candidates for judge in the Georgian Supreme Court. The opposition, which strongly disapproves of the list, vows the rally will lead to the fulfilment of the demonstrators’ demands.
Representatives of opposition parties and civic activists have resumed demonstrations in downtown Tbilisi aimed to re-block the parliament of Georgia and prevent legislators enter the building tomorrow.
Ten law enforcers have been suspended from duty due to possible abuse of power during the June 20-21 rally in central Tbilisi, sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in Georgia, the Georgian Interior Ministry says.
The rally, which started at 11 a.m., calls upon the public to join them to “make the court” deliver fair verdicts for those detained during the June 20 rally in central Tbilisi, which was sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the country and in the Georgian parliament.
Tbilisi City Hall is launching a renovation of Melikishvili Avenue, one of the major transport arteries of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, which will include installation of new infrastructure on the street, Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced on Wednesday.