Police ‘postpone’ Melia’s arrest as PM resigns
Georgian police employees were present at the headquarters of the United National Movement opposition party to arrest Nika Melia. Photo: RFE/RL.
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The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced that they have postponed the detention of opposition MP and the head of the United National Movement Nika Melia following the recent resignation of Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.
Gakharia stated earlier today that he resigned because he failed to make an agreement with the ruling Georgian Georgian Dream party over Melia’s issue.
Gakharia said that Melia’s arrest was legal. However, he stated that the detention amid the current political crisis would threaten further destabilisation.
Tbilisi City Court ruled yesterday that Melia be remanded into custody for failure to post bail, per the request of the country’s Prosecutor’s Office.
Parliament suspended the MP status of Melia on February 16, allowing the prosecution to demand his arrest claiming the latter has not posted bail for his release in a case that dates back to the June 2019 protests.
Poeple at UNM office after Gakharia announced his resignation. Photo: IPN.
A Number of opposition politicians and activists gathered at the UNM headquarters yesterday to support Melia.
They stated that they would not allow the police to arrest Melia.
People at the UNM office applauded Gakharia’s resignation.
The PM’s resignation means that his cabinet is also suspended and the parliament will have to approve a new PM and cabinet in two weeks.
If parliament fails to approve the new government, the president will dismiss the parliament and snap parliamentary elections will be scheduled.
The Georgian opposition parties say that the October 31 parliamentary elections were fabricated and they are demanding repeat elections.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced his resignation earlier today, saying that the step is connected with the upcoming arrest of the opposition MP, the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia. Gakharia has stated that Melia violated the law and has been engaged in sparking tension in the country.
Tbilisi City Court has ruled that United National Movement chair Nika Melia be remanded into custody for failure to post bail, per the request of the country’s Prosecutor’s Office. Meanwhile, the United States Embassy to Georgia calls on the authorities and the opposition 'to exercise maximum restraint in the wake of tonight’s ruling'.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell fears that the possible arrest of opposition MP and the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia will further deepen the Georgian political crisis and create additional barriers between the ruling party and the opposition to achieve an election agreement.
The ruling Georgian Dream party will support the suspension of the MP immunity for opposition United National Movement party chair Nika Melia as he has refused to pay the bail. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office asked parliament to suspend MP status for Melia to then request his arrest from the court on Friday.
US Senator Jim Risch, Former US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly and former MEP Rebecca Harms have responded to yesterday's decision of Tbilisi City Court which ruled to detain United National Movement chair Nika Melia.
Responding to the resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, the Lelo for Georgia opposition party said ‘this is the right step, which creates an opportunity to defuse the existing political crisis’. Party leader Badri Japaridze has called on the ruling Georgian Dream party to immediately start negotiations involving international partners in order to reach a political agreement between the opposition and the ruling party.
The Georgian Interior Ministry announced late yesterday that 25 individuals who had been detained by police while trying to set up tents in front of the parliament building have been released.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has stated earlier today that if the head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia posts bail, they will request his release from Tbilisi City Court.