Opposition announces large-scale rally against ruling party on May 15
Opposition claims the EU-mediated talks in Tbilisi ended without a result because of the Georgian Dream’s ‘destructive and anti-state’ actions. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda,ge archive
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Georgian opposition politicians, who plan to travel to the regions to meet with the public, have announced they will gather in front of the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi on May 15.
Opposition politicians released a joint statement after the EU-mediated talks with the ruling Georgian Dream party ended without a result.
United National Movement party member Zaal Udumashvili said the opposition will visit every town and village, meet with people and hold rallies there, ahead of the final gathering in Tbilisi in mid-May.
The opposition is moving to a non-stop mode of rallies, which will lead to eventual victory aimed to bring the positive changes in favour of our country”, he said.
Claiming that the EU-mediated talks in Tbilisi ended without a result because of the Georgian Dream’s ‘destructive and anti-state’ actions, Udumashvili said the ruling party has thus ‘closed a door to Europe.’
Ruling party leaders, who are holding a political council meeting today, instead claim that the opposition has raised ‘two ultimatums which were absolutely illegitimate, against justice and against state interests'. Photo: EU Delegation to Georgia/Twitter
Opposition politicians who have won seats in the 10th convocation of the Georgian parliament last autumn demand repeat elections be held and political prisoners released.
Accusing the ruling party of falsifying the elections, most of them refuse to take up their mandates and took to the street in November 2020.
Foreign ambassadors have facilitated four rounds of talks since then between the ruling party and the opposition to help the parties end the tension. However, the talks ended without the result.
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The dialogue resumed during the recent visit of the European Council President Charles Michel to Georgia on March 1.
Michel later mandated Christian Danielsson to lead a EU-backed mediation effort in Georgia to help the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition come to an agreement amid the current political deadlock.
Danielsson, who arrived in Georgia on March 12 has held a number of meetings with the Georgian Dream and opposition parties since them but he left Georgie yesterday after the parties failed to reach an agreement.
EU-mediated talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition on the issues of repeat parliamentary elections and the release of two opposition representatives have ended without a result and mediator Christian Danielsson has left for Brussels earlier today. Danielsson, who was sent to Georgia by European Council President Charles Michel on March 12, had spent a week in Georgia, more than scheduled, to help the parties come to an agreement.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a joint press conference with Georgian Prime MInister Irakli Garibashvili in Brussels today that ‘the recent political developments in Georgia are worrying’. Expressing NATO’s support for the mediation efforts of the European Union Jens Stoltenberg encouraged PM Garibashvili ‘to work with the opposition to find common ground and common solutions’.
Vice-President of European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Fontelles stated at the press conference following the EU-Georgia Association Council earlier today that this meeting is being held in a ‘pivotal moment’ for Georgia amid the current political crisis.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who met with the European Council President Charles Michel in Brussels yesterday, has told journalists that the Georgian ruling party and the opposition must come to an agreement amid the current political tension, but a solution ‘must not be found at the expense of state interests.’
Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated that he has ‘no plans to leave the country or politics.’ He told journalists earlier today that he will announce his intentions in the coming days. Gakharia resigned on February 18, 2021, saying that the step was connected with the upcoming arrest of the opposition MP and the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia.
The EU mediator in the talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition on the issues of repeat parliamentary elections and the release of opposition figures Christian Danielsson will travel back to Georgia by the end of the week to help the parties to come to an agreement on ‘two most challenging issues.’
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has stated earlier today that the ruling Georgian Dream party is not considering holding repeat parliamentary elections or the release of opposition United National Movement chair Nika Melia during the upcoming EU-mediated negotiations.
Opposition politicians will gather at Rike Park in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on Monday, April 19, to inform the population about their further plans.