Parliament suspends status of three MPs of pro-Russian Alliance of Patriots
The Alliance of Patriots received four seats in parliament in the October 31 parliamentary elections. Photo: Alliance of Patriots press office.
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The parliament of Georgia has suspended the MP status for three of four members of the Alliance of Patriots opposition party earlier today, per the request of the MPs themselves.
Irma Inashvili, Gocha Tevdoradze and Giorgi Lomia are no longer MPs.
However, four members of the party who are on the election list may replace them in the state legislature.
Similar to other opposition parties which were voted in on the October 31 parliamentary elections, the Alliance of Patriots says that the elections were fabricated and is demanding repeat elections.
At the end of last year the Alliance of Patriots appealed to the Georgian Central Election Commission to annul its party list which meant the candidates on the list would not be able to replace the opposition MPs who officially refused to take up their mandates in parliament.
In total 54 opposition MPs have requested the suspension of their status. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
However, four members of the party- Davit Zilpimiani, Avtandil Enukidze (No 4 on the party’s election list), Gela Mikadze and Pridon Injia decided to stay on the election list which means that they may enter parliament.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that the reason the parliament voted on the suspension of the MP status for the three members of the Alliance of Patriots earlier than other opposition MPs was that other members of the party may enter parliament (the MPs who resigned have their replacements).
The ruling party says that the suspension of MP status for other opposition legislators will be voted on only after the fifth round of election talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition.
Foreign diplomats are mediating talks to help the parties end the current political crisis.
Fifty-four of 60 opposition MPs in the 150-member parliament have requested the suspension of their status so far.
They are demanding repeat elections.