Georgia’s opposition rejects election results, boycotts parliament
Photo: Parliament of Georgia (Getty Images)
In Georgia, all four opposition parties have announced they will boycott the newly elected parliament following the elections on October 26, according to Echo of the Caucasus.
The leader of the party Gakharia for Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia, stated that his party does not intend to participate in the activities of the newly elected parliament.
"Our party will not legitimize the illegitimate parliament of the Georgian Dream. That is it," Gakharia said at a special briefing.
He was also asked about participating in a protest scheduled for today at 6:00 PM in the center of Tbilisi.
"The protest is very important. We will be where our voters are, just as we have been and will continue to be in the future," Gakharia noted.
It is worth mentioning that earlier, the opposition parties Coalition for Changes, United National Movement, and Strong Georgia also announced their refusal to participate in the new parliament.
Thus, all four opposition parties that won the elections have declared they will boycott the new parliament.
In addition, tonight, the opposition plans to hold a rally near the parliament building in Georgia. However, Georgian media report that police have not yet allowed a stage to be set up.
President Salome Zourabichvili and opposition leaders assert that the results of the parliamentary elections, in which the ruling party "Georgian Dream" won, were falsified, and they do not recognize them.
Parliamentary elections in Georgia
Recall that on October 26, parliamentary elections took place in Georgia, where the pro-Russian ruling party Georgian Dream competed against pro-European opposition political forces.
During the vote count, the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, expressed confidence in the opposition's victory. However, according to the country's CEC, the ruling party, Georgian Dream, received over 54% of the votes, followed by opposition parties.
Moreover, international observers reported significant violations during the elections in Georgia.
Opposition parties in Georgia have stated they do not recognize the election results. Some opposition members announced plans to hold protests.
Meanwhile, on October 27, the country's Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, stated that a government would be formed in Georgia despite the opposition's objections.
On the same day, President Salome Zourabichvili announced that she did not recognize the election results and called on citizens to protest.
