Parliament session starts 3 hours late as opposition, media representatives break into parliament
After leaving the Parliament session hall by majority of the opposition party members, only three MPs from two opposition parties remained there – Aleko Elisashvili and Levan Ioseliani from Citizens and Pridon Injia from European Socialists. Photo: IPN.
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An extraordinary session of the Parliament of Georgia scheduled for this morning started three hours late after members of the opposition, several media executives and civil society broke into the parliament hall, occupied the speaker’s seat and didn’t allow the ruling party to start the session.
The controversy erupted after the deadline set by the media representatives and civil society demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili ended at noon earlier today.
Media and civil society demanded the resignation of the PM and the government following the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkaravam who was physically assaulted by right-wing groups on July 5 and was found dead on July 11.
Opposition Occupied the speaker’s seat and didn’t allow the ruling party to start the session. Photo: IPN.
The opposition political party Lelo members left the session hall in protest. The party leader Mamuka Khazaradze stated the party left the session hall because the policy that is being pursued in the country , the Russian rhetoric that Prime Minister Garibashvili is pursuing in Georgia at the behest of Ivanishvili and is serving to split the country.
We [Lelo] demand to end this process. The only correct mechanism is the resignation of the Prime Minister… The solution is peaceful protest, a transitional government and peaceful local elections. Until then, the Georgian Dream will be alone”, said Mamuk Khazaradze.
Khazaradze also noted that the party members are protesting the attack on journalists which took part on July 5, the Russian course, the non-fulfillment of the Charles Michel document, the appointment of judges, who were inherited by the United National Movement.
A member of the United National Movement Khatia Dekanoidze said that the faction United National Movement – Power is Unity will only take part in the voting on the constitutional amendments on the transition of the proportional system and in the process of declaring no confidence to the government.
We [the faction] will not continue to participate in this routine process, which is ongoing n this hypocritical, fake parliament. The faction United National Movement – Power is Unity will be with the citizens and journalists”, said Dekanoidze.
After leaving the Parliament session hall by majority of the opposition party members, only three MPs from two opposition parties remained there – Aleko Elisashvili and Levan Ioseliani from Citizens and Pridon Injia from European Socialists.
An extraordinary sitting of the Parliament of Georgia scheduled for this morning has not been held so far as some media executives, civil society and opposition groups broke into the parliamentary session hall, occupied the speaker's seat, displayed Georgian and EU flags and did not allow the ruling party to start the session.
The Georgian ruling party has accused the opposition of ‘trading by tragedy’ following the death of the TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was found dead yesterday after being attacked by right-wing counter protesters of the Tbilisi Pride march on July 5. The head of the ruling party Irakli Kobakhidze said earlier today that the organisers of yesterday's rally, protesting the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, are the leaders of radical, anti-Christian groups, ‘who decided to score points on the death of the colleague.’
Police have detained one more individual who attacked TV Pirveli journalists in the office of the Shame Movement in Tbilisi on July 5 during the counter-rally against the Tbilisi Pride march. The Ministry of Internal Affair reports that in total 20 people have been arrested for verbally and physically assaulting media representatives on July 5 of which five are detained for attacking the TV Pirveli crew.
Journalists, civil activists and politicians have gathered in front of the parliament building in downtown Tbilisi to pay tribute to the late TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava and demand Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation.