PM nominee says ‘door closed’ for any talks on repeat elections
Georgian PM nominee Irakli Garibashvili says that the ruling Georgian Dream party will not communicate with the ‘radical opposition’. Photo: 1TV.
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Georgian PM nominee Irakli Garibashvili says that the ‘door is closed’ for any talks on repeat parliamentary elections.
Georgian opposition parties stated earlier today that they postponed the February 25 rally in Tbilisi and ‘gave time’ to the ruling Georgian Dream party to resume talks with them on repeat parliamentary elections.
We are categorically against any talks on repeat elections. The topic is closed. The radical opposition do not want neither repeat nor democratic elections. The only thing they want is the forcible change of the government because they have zero chance of winning elections,” Garibashvili said.
He urged the ‘constructive opposition’ to distance themselves from the ‘radical United National Movement’ opposition party, take up their mandates and get involved in solving the major social and economic challenges the country is facing.
Garibashvili also said that ‘there is no political crisis in the country’ and that the radical opposition is trying to mislead the international community.
The leader of the European Georgia opposition party Gigi Ugulava responded that ‘Garibashvili’s words have no value and he will not be able to change our minds.’
Opposition parties say that 'Garibashvili's aggressive rhetoric will not help parties end the current political crisis.' Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Fellow member of the United National Movement opposition party Khatia Dekanoidze said that ‘Garibashvili has confirmed that his major goal will be the prosecution of the opposition.’
She stated that Garibashvili’s speech in parliament today was ‘alarming’ and that Garibashvili ‘has always been an aggressive politician.’
51 of 60 opposition MPs have refused to take their mandates in the 150-member parliament.
They say that the October 31 parliamentary elections were fabricated and they have been demanding repeat elections since November 2020.
The ruling party says that the elections were held in the full line with democratic standards.
The election data of NGOs and the country’s Central Election Commission also match.
Only six of 60 opposition MPs have entered the parliament so far.
Georgian PM nominee Irakli Garibashvili says that the resumption of order in the country, coronavirus vaccination and drafting a 10-year ‘ambitious plan’ for state development will be the major priorities of the new government in the first 100 days. Garibashvili also said that the ‘return of the destructive forces to the constitutional frames’ will be on the top of the agenda.
Georgian opposition parties which won seats in the October 31, 2020 parliamentary elections and who demand repeat elections have postponed a rally on February 25 to ‘give time to the ruling Georgian Dream party’ to resume talks.
Ruling Georgian Dream party member Mamuka Mdinaradze says that any discussion on holding repeat parliamentary elections is ‘speculative', responding to the opposition’s demand that snap elections be held in the country. Preparing to form a new cabinet of ministers in the coming days, Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze said the Georgian Dream 'is in full control of its move forward'.
Opposition MP and the head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia, who was named the reason for PM Giorgi Gakharia recent resignation, has stated that the opposition ‘welcomes’ the PM’s decision, but it is not sufficient.
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria and Transparency International Georgia NGO have condemned the recent arrest of opposition leader Nika Melia and stated that the move will further complicate current political tension in the country.