Opposition announces large rally, re-blocking of parliament
The opposition say that the parliament work will be blocked again next week. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Tweet 
Share
The leader of the European Georgia opposition party David Bakradze has announced a “large-scale” rally on Monday, November 25 in front of parliament, adding that demonstrators will ‘peacefully block the entrances’ of the legislative body on November 26.
He said that demonstrations protesting the rejection of the election bill on the transition to a fully proportional electoral system will take place every day.
However, on November 25 the opposition and their supporters will gather on Rose Square and join demonstrators standing in front of parliament, on Rustaveli Avenue, later that day. On the next day peaceful demonstrators will prevent the parliament from working”, Bakradze said.
He stated that the opposition “is not happy” about blocking the parliament activities. However, “the current state leadership has left no other way when they broke their promise [concerning] fully proportional elections.”
The opposition says that rallies will continue until the current state leadership allows a fully proportional voting system for 2020 parliamentary elections: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze responded that the government will act in line with the law and “take appropriate steps,” if the work of the legislative body is hampered again.
Police dispersed a rally on November 18 with the use of water cannons after warning the demonstrators about upcoming dispersal as “protesters violated the 9th article of the law on manifestation,” which bans blocking the entrances of parliament and hampering the work of the legislative body.
The protests in Tbilisi were sparked after the rejection of the election bill last week, proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, offering the transition to a fully proportional electoral system from 2020 instead of 2024.
The ruling party accepted the changes in the summer, during the June protests in Tbilisi, to calm crowds.
All 37 individuals who were detained during the November 18 rally dispersal in front of the parliament building of Georgia for hooliganism and disobedience to police have been temporarily released by a Tbilisi City Court judge late yesterday.Discussions around the cases are scheduled to resume later today at the same court.
A ruling Georgian Dream (GD) majoritarian MP Dimitri Khundadze has offered the country to switch to a fully majoritarian electoral system amid protests in Tbilisi which were sparked by the rejection of the GD-proposed bill on the transition to a fully proportional electoral system from 2020.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has responded to the rally dispersal on Monday and stated that police acted in full line with the law “as irresponsible politicians” made demonstrators violate the law and hamper the work of the legislative body.Gakharia stated that the freedom of expression and assembly is “fully protected in the country” and the government uses force only when demonstrators violate the law.
Protest rally, triggered by the parliament’s rejection of an electoral bill aimed at moving from a mixed system to a proportional one, has resumed on Monday evening after police used water cannon to disperse the demonstration. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry reported that a total of 37 people have been detained, while four demonstrator ansd two law enforcers - injured during the dispersal.
Demonstrators who have been protesting the rejection of the election bill since November 14 have gathered in front of the administration building of the government of Georgia in central Tbilisi earlier today, demanding snap parliamentary elections with the use of a fully proportional electoral system, conducted by an interim government.Protests in Tbilisi were sparked after the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed election bill last week was scrapped.
Ten demonstrators detained during the November 18 rally dispersal in central Tbilisi have been sent to five-13 days in prison for ‘hooliganism and disobedience to police.’
Georgian Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani says that Georgia needs a mixed electoral system, “with MPs elected through the majoritarian race and based on party lists, including a reasonable election threshold.”
In a statement released in response to local NGOs accusing the judge Valeriane Pilishvili of partiality, Tbilisi City Court said recent hearings have been held under deliberate discreditation from the detainees and their supporters, disinformation campaign and sharp criticism.
Six have been detained for hooliganism and disobedience to police while protesting in front of the headquarters of the Georgian State Security Service earlier today. Demonstrators at the State Security Service building demanded a meeting with the head of the state agency Grigol Liluashvili “to ask him why police are detaining demonstrators in Tbilisi.”
Representatives of opposition parties and civic activists have resumed demonstrations in downtown Tbilisi aimed to re-block the parliament of Georgia and prevent legislators enter the building tomorrow.