Georgia in turmoil: Opposition boycotts new parliament session
The inaugural session of the Georgian parliament took place in Tbilisi on Monday. The opposition, which does not recognise the results of the October elections, boycotted the proceedings. Protests are ongoing outside the building, and the police are securing the area.
88 deputies from the 150-member chamber participated in the session. The opposition, boycotting the session, announced that it would not accept the mandates. Present in the hall was the leader of the Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, accused of being pro-Russian. This party received about 54 per cent of the votes, securing 89 seats in parliament.
Four opposition groups and President Salome Zourabichvili do not recognise the election results due to numerous irregularities. They are demanding new elections. The opposition has been organising protests for a month, claiming the elections were rigged.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs warned that attempts to block the parliament will be punished. The building was deemed a strategic object, and blocking it carries criminal liability. The President of Georgia called this "a Russian style of governance."
Storm after the elections in Georgia
Foreign ambassadors were not invited to the inaugural session. The Speaker of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, stated that it was a "celebration of the Georgian nation" and did not require the presence of foreigners.
Most of Georgia's foreign partners did not congratulate Georgian Dream and supported the investigation into the election irregularities.
