UNM opposition: ruling party tries to disrupt election talks

The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party says that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has plans to blackmail them and disrupt the election talks which are taking place with the mediation of diplomatic corps. 

• Ruling party vows to accept repeat elections if investigation reveals that 1% of votes was rigged

The UNM has responded to the recent statement of GD that none of the opposition parties will receive state funding if they refuse to take up their mandates in parliament and that the GD will initiate a law in the 10th parliament which will disqualify parties from registration for elections if their leaders violate the state constitution, referring to the UNM leader, ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. 

• Nine of 14 parties who won seats in parliament ready to receive state funding

This is an attempt of the ruling party to disrupt the ongoing negotiations,” UNM member Khatia Dekanoidze said. 

The leader of European Georgia opposition party Gigi Ugulava said that the ruling party will try to justify the results ‘of fabricated elections’ with the help of the commission which will be composed by GD MPs. 

Per the election results ruling party received 90 seats in parliament, while eight opposition parties and election blocs received 60 seats. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge. 

The ruling party and the opposition have reached no consensus so far in the election talks, as opposition parties are demanding repeat elections, while the ruling party states that elections were conducted in line with democratic standards. 

The first session of the new parliament is scheduled on Friday. 

Only one member of the opposition Aleko Elisashvili stated earlier today that he will enter parliament if the ruling party presents a plan of a large-scale election reform and if there are guarantees that the reform will be carried out. 

The members of the remaining seven opposition parties and blocs who were voted in on the October 31 parliament elections, are unanimous that the repeat elections must take place. 

Foreign ambassadors who are mediating the talks are hopeful that an agreement may be reached tomorrow and that all parties will attend the first session of parliament on December 11. 

 The ruling party has promised that they will carry out the election reform anyway.