Opposition demands sanctions against politicians, law enforcers, judges
Opposition says that anti-government rallies will continue. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Georgian opposition parties have demanded the imposition of sanctions against politicians, judges and the law enforcers who participated in the recent arrest of the head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia and who ‘act against the rule of law.’
UNM member Khatia Dekanoidze stated earlier today that the current political crisis will not end without the release of Melia and repeat parliamentary elections.
The leader of European Georgia opposition party Gigi Ugulava said that none of the law enforcers will be able to get jobs who participated in the special operation yesterday to arrest Melia.
We have identified them. After the change of the government they will never be able to get jobs in the public service,” Ugulava said.
51 of 60 opposition MPs, including Melia, have refused to take up their mandates in parliament.
They say that the October 31, 2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia were fabricated and have been demanding repeat elections since November 2020.
Opposition says that they will use all methods to suppress the government. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Four rounds of talks have been held between the ruling party and the opposition with the facilitation of foreign ambassadors to help the parties end the political crisis.
However, all the meetings ended without a result because the ruling party says that the elections were held in line with democratic standards and that no repeat elections will be conducted.
The arrest of Melia yesterday for his refusal to pay bail escalated the tension.
The international community has urged parties to continue negotiations.
Melia is charged with incitement to violence during the June protests in Tbilisi back in 2019.
US President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has responded to the recent arrest of the head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party in Georgia Nika Melia and called on political parties in the country ‘to return to negotiations in support of Georgian democracy.’
Georgian opposition politicians gathered at the residence of European Union Ambassador Carl Hartzel to discuss the recent developments in the country following the detention of United National Movement chair Nika Melia. United States Ambassador Kelly Degnan also joined the meeting.
New Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has addressed the nation saying that Georgia’ has no time to lose’. ‘Today is not the time for division – it is the time for unification’, he stated. Garibashvili who was confirmed prime minister yesterday said in his recent video address that amid the important challenges Georgia is facing nowadays, including the pandemic, ‘we must all unite’ regardless the political beliefs and views.
EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell has responded to a special forces storm of the United National Movement office this morning to arrest its chair Nika Melia and said that 'all sides need to demonstrate responsibility and have the best interest of the country and the Georgian people at heart' in his post on Twitter.
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) monitoring co-rapporteurs for Georgia Titus Corlatean and Claude Kern have expressed their concern over the recent developments in Tbilisi. European Parliament members Marina Kaljurand and Sven Mikser have also called on the ruling party and opposition 'to immediately take necessary steps to de-escalate political tensions'.
The spokesperson of the EU External Action Service has released a statement on the arrest of the United National Movement chair Nika Melia which reads that political polarisation in Georgia 'has regrettably further deepened' since then and damages Georgia's democracy.