The president of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvilimet this Saturday with the leaders of the Georgia opposition parties and once again demanded on behalf of the entire opposition the need to celebrate new parliamentary elections in the Caucasian country, where anti-government protests have not stopped for almost a month. “New elections are the only political solution to the crisis,” Zurabishvili said at a press conference in Tbilisi.
The president, whose mandate expires on December 29, has stated that the OSCE’s final report on last October’s elections, which gave rise to the current crisis, is very critical. “There is no faith in the elections, nor in the Government,” he stated after meeting with the leaders of opposition parties, who also reject the victory of the ruler. Georgian Dream in the parliamentary elections.
Zurabishvili has announced that this Sunday he will personally preside over a demonstration on the central Rustaveli Avenue, a regular site of anti-government protests for almost a month. “We will not allow in Georgia a totalitarian regime as in Russia,” he indicated in reference to the affinity of the ruling party with Moscow, which the Georgian Dream flatly denies.
Meanwhile, the speaker of the Georgian ParliamentShalva Papuashviliassured that the OSCE “has de facto recognized that the elections were held in accordance with the criteria of competitiveness and freedom.” Also the Georgian Prime Minister, Irakli Kobayidzewelcomed the evaluation of the OSCE electoral observers and assured that the Government is willing to collaborate with the organization regarding “concrete recommendations” regarding the celebration of elections.
Dance takes the streets
Thousands of Georgians gathered again today in Rustaveli to protest against the policy of their Government, which they accuse of pro-Russian and anti-European. Representatives of various guildsbetween students and models, but all eyes were on the dancers of the traditional Georgian Jorumi dance who marched from the Philharmonic to the Legislative headquarters.
Later, the professional dancers were joined by other protesters and images of those gathered in the center of Tbilisi dancing the traditional “war dance” They filled social networks. Jorumi, which originated in the western regions of Georgia, is danced only by men, but today many women also danced, some of them with the national flag.
Simultaneously, a call was announced on the social network Facebook to celebrate the New Year in front of Georgia Parliamentwhich has already been greeted by more than 17,000 users. The Georgian opposition last week called on the European Union to impose sanctions and declare “illegitimate” to the Government of the Caucasian country, led since 2012 by the Georgian Dream party, which froze negotiations on joining the community bloc last November.
