Georgia’s president will not step down until ‘illegitimate’ election rerun
Al JazeeraDEC 3 2024
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have faced off against police for four consecutive nights, with authorities using water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse crowds, resulting in over 150 arrests and numerous injuries on both sides.Tens of thousands of Georgians faced off against police across multiple cities for four consecutive nights, as Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhi¬dze rebuf¬fed calls for new elections and Georgian police detained prominent opposition leader Zurab Japaridze.
The crisis has deepened following contested October 26 parliamentary elections, which opposition groups and international observers claim were marked by significant irregularities and voter intimidation."The formation of the new government based on the October 26 parliamentary elections has been completed," Kobakhi¬dze said Saturday. On Sunday, protesters in Tbilisi gathered outside parliament, with authorities using water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
Several high-ranking diplomats, including ambassadors to the United States, Netherlands, Bulgaria, and Lithuania, have resigned in protest of the government's decision to freeze EU talks.This comes after the US suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia, while the EU called for an investigation into the October parliamentary elections that opposition groups and international observers claim were marked by significant irregularities and voter intimidation.
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The ruling party is deliberately steering Georgia away from its European path and toward Russia's sphere of influence. The government's actions — including passing Russian-style laws targeting NGOs and LGBTQ+ rights — represent democratic backsliding and betray the will of 80% of Georgians who support EU membership.