Unrest in Georgia
Georgian police once again violently break up demonstrations
The situation in the South Caucasus Republic of Georgia remains extremely tense. Police and demonstrators engage in street battles. But even in the state apparatus, many civil servants distance themselves from the government.
In the South Caucasus republic of Georgia, violent clashes broke out between police and anti-government demonstrators for the third night in a row. According to Georgian media, the officers used water cannons and tear gas, and the demonstrators fired fireworks at the police. It was only in the morning that the uniformed men managed to push the protesters away from the parliament building on Rustaveli Prospekt. The crowd has now set up roadblocks near the state university. The conflicts between the national-conservative government and the pro-European opposition threaten to tear Georgia apart.
There is currently no official information on the number of people injured or arrested. Last night, the police said they arrested 107 people for hooliganism in the capital Tbilisi alone – there are also demonstrations in other cities.
The background to the protests is the parliamentary elections at the end of October, which were overshadowed by allegations of fraud and in which the ruling Georgian Dream party was declared the winner. The opposition has not recognized the election results – and refuses to accept their mandates. The protests were fueled by Prime Minister Iraqi Kobachidze, who announced that he would put accession negotiations with the EU, which he accused of interference and blackmail, on hold until 2028. According to surveys, the majority of the population wants to go to the EU. Accession is also set out as a goal in the constitution.
The conflict has also spread to the institutional level. Several ambassadors have since resigned in protest. The pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili, on the other hand, refuses to accept the change planned by the government. She will remain in office for the time being because an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a legitimate president, she said. Her term actually ends in mid-December. For the first time, her successor will not be appointed directly by the people, but by members of parliament and regional representatives.
dpa
Source: Stern
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