UPDATE: Opposition holds rally, demands repeat parliamentary elections
Expressing mistrust to the final results, opposition politicians have gathered at the Rustaveli Avenue today demanding to hold repeat elections in Georgia. Photo: Shot from TV Pirveli live stream video
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Updated at 17:00
Opposition politicians and their supporters have gathered in front of the parliament of Georgia on Rustaveli Avenue today, demanding repeat parliamentary elections be held.
Claiming that the Central Election Commission (CEC) has falsified the results in favour of the ruling Georgian Dream party, opposition politicians are calling on the public to ‘protect their vote’.
Refusing to take up their parliamentary mandates, opposition parties demand:
- free and fair repeat elections be held
- CEC chair Tamar Zhvania be dismissed and fair composition of election commissions be ensured
- all political detainees be released
The opposition has called on the ruling party leader to speak with them about the above issues by 8 p.m. today along with international partners.
Calling their demands ‘absurd’, ruling party member Giorgi Kakhiani encouraged the opposition to return to the electoral process and to eventually join the parliamentary life.
Earlier at 15:51
European Georgia majoritarian candidate Elene Khoshtaria said in her address that ‘the entire Georgia has gathered’ in Tbilisi today and united as a multi-party team, they will introduce their plan ‘how to defeat’ the ruling party.
Elene Khoshtaria has read out the opposition politicians' demands to the ruling party. Photo: 1TV.ge
United National Movement (UNM) leader Grigol Vashadze said as well that the people who are standing at the Rustaveli Avenue now will also protect the votes of those who could not come, but watch the rally in TV.
Leader of Lelo for Georgia Mamuka Khazaradze also addressed the public, saying ‘this country belongs to us’ and ‘we will not give out our freedom’.
Coronavirus or any other virus will not harm us like Bidzina Ivanishvili can... We have united against our common enemy” Labour Party leader Shalva Natelashvili said, welcoming the unity of the opposition.
Again referring to the ruling party leader, he said Georgia should follow the example of the United States and get rid of the businessman’s leadership.
Representatives of other opposition parties which overcome the mandatory 1 per cent threshold for the parliamentary seats, as well as other parties, which did not manage to qualify, have also joined the protest.
- US Embassy, EU delegation issue joint statement on post-election political developments in Georgia
- Ombudswoman urges opposition to ensure strict observance of rules, coronavirus restrictions during protests
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has called on opposition parties to ensure strict observance of all recommendations, rules and restrictions during their election protests imposed to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
The United States Embassy and the European Union delegation to Georgia have also called on all Georgians who plan to exercise their right to assembly ‘to do so peacefully and with respect to COVID-19 precautions’.
More updates will follow...
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria condemns the illegal acquisition and release of audio recordings allegedly involving Georgian opposition politicians, which were published by Ukrainian media outlet Obozrevatel on November 6.
Georgian police have detained two individuals for offering a bribe to the head of the Isani No. 5 district election commission (DEC) on behalf of a political political party, asking him to step down from his position and claim that the recent parliamentary elections were rigged.
The United States Embassy and the European Union delegation to Georgia have released a joint statement today calling on all Georgians who plan to exercise their right to assembly on November 8 ‘to do so peacefully and with respect to COVID-19 precautions’. They also call on the Georgian authorities to assist in providing such an environment.
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has urged opposition parties to ensure strict observance of all recommendations, rules and restrictions during their election protests imposed to prevent the further spread of coronavirus.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili spoke about the recent parliamentary elections with the Central Election Commission (CEC) chairperson Tamar Zhvania earlier today. President Zurabishvili thanked Zhvania and her team for holding 'free, fair and just' elections amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators who marched from central Rustaveli Avenue to the building of the Central Election Commission (CEC) after ruling Georgian Dream party leaders rejected opposition demands to dismiss CEC chair Tamar Zhvania and hold repeat elections.
Local non-governmental organisations Human Rights Education and Monitoring Centre (EMC), Transparency International Georgia (TI) and International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) call on the interior ministry not to use police forces against peaceful demonstrators. Meanwhile, opposition politicians, who refuse to take their parliamentary mandates and demand to hold repeat parliamentary elections, plan to stay at the CEC overnight.
During the protest rally on November 8, police detained 19 individuals for 'violating public order and disobedience to a rightful command of the police.’
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has responded to the opposition’s election-related rally yesterday and stated that ‘every process seeking to take matters to the street, like what we saw yesterday, must be, on our own initiative and that of our strategic partners, transferred onto a legal and political platform.’
In a joint statement Transparency International Georgia (TI), the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) and the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) say that although Georgia’s parliamentary elections were a clear setback for the country and the worst elections held under the Georgian Dream government, they believe that there is still a chance to find a way out of the political impasse through dialogue.
The Georgian Dream ruling party has called on opposition parties not to follow radical political groups, return to a constructive mode of action and prepare for the second round of majoritarian elections.
The Central Election Commission has published an announcement where it responds to opposition’s rally held yesterday in front of the CEC building, calling it the pressure on the Election Administration, noting readiness to discuss any topic related to the elections peacefully with the involvement of various parties.
Opposition parties that claim the October 31 parliamentary elections were fabricated will continue rallies on Saturday, November 14, at 15:00, in central Tbilisi.
The State Inspector's service of Georgia has started an investigation into alleged excessive use of force against a detainee at the opposition’s rally held yesterday.
The Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara has held its first session today while the opposition held a rally outside the building of the Supreme Council during which four people were detained.