Ex-President Saakashvili: Georgian opposition must not accept referendum

Georgian ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is currently a citizen of Ukraine and chairs the Ukrainian National Reforms Council, has stated that Georgian opposition parties must not accept a referendum instead of repeat parliamentary elections. 

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Five of eight opposition parties which have won seats in the 10th convocation of the Georgian parliament have been demanding repeat elections since the October 31, 2020 race. 

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They have accused the Georgian Dream ruling party of fabricating the elections and took to the street again last week shortly after the arrest of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party head Nika Melia (for his refusal to pay bail). 

The opposition parties stated after the meeting with the European Council President Charles Michel last week that they may accept the referendum instead of repeat parliamentary elections. 

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Currently the opposition parties which have won 51 of 60 opposition seats in the 150-member parliament are demanding repeat parliamentary elections, the release of Melia and the co-founder of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV channel Giorgi Rurua. 

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Saakashvili says that the founder of the Georgian Dream ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili, who left politics earlier this year, has plans to hold a referendum along with municipal elections this year and that ‘Ivanishvili, who practically runs the state, will do his best to fabricate the referendum results.’ 

Opposition parties held a rally in front of Rustavi prison earlier today where the new head of UNM Nika Melia is awaiting trial. 

Saakashvili also says that when Melia leaves prison ‘he will take sharp steps. However, other people should also support him.’ 

The ruling party MP Shalva Papuashvili has urged the opposition to ‘listen to their voters, not to a foreign citizen (referring to Saakashvili). 

Papuashvili repeated the position of the Georgian Dream that ‘demands on repeat elections have no legal grounds.’ 

We have stated that we are ready to conduct the repeat elections if anyone presents evidence that even one per cent of votes was fabricated,” Papuashvili said. 

Today the opposition has held a rally with cars from Tbilisi to Rustavi prison where Melia is awaiting trial. 

One of the leaders of UNM Zaal Udumashvili said that if the ruling party arrives in Brussels on March 16 for the EU-Georgia Association Council meeting ‘with zero agreement with the opposition, it will be a very negative message for Georgia’s international partners.’