Protests demanding proportional election system continue
By Lizi Zurabiani and Inga Kakulia
Monday, November 18
Parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition and representatives of the civil movements held a rally in front of the Parliament on November 17 at Rustaveli Avenue. Opposition demands early parliamentary elections under interim government and impartial election administration. Opposition and civil society launched a protest rally on Rustaveli after parliament overturned a bill on the electoral change that sought to shift the current system to a proportional one.
Opposition supporters from all over the country also joined the rally on Rustaveli Avenue. Supporters of the United National Movement and the United Opposition have gathered at various locations since morning. Members of the National Movement and activists gathered at Pushkin Square at 14:00 and members of the European Georgia in front of the Opera House. They started walking at 14:30 and joined the rally outside the Parliament.
Protesters say they will give Ivanishvili a response he deserves because he insulted and deceived the Georgian people.
"We are protesting the government's lies, joining the rally. Today the choice is between authoritarianism and democracy. We do not forgive failing the proportional electoral system and will give a decent response; and if the demand is not met, the rallies will continue," said one of the rally participants.
Law enforcement officers were mobilized both in the parliament building and in the yard of the legislature.
“As for the special forces, they are equipped according to the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs and not Winchester, there is no firearm in the Parliament, I guarantee it and I am responsible for it,” said Vazha Siradze, Director of the Patrol Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
On the same day, the Patriots’ Alliance held a rally near the Radisson Hotel. As Irma Inashvili, one of the leaders of the Alliance, said, the main demand for the rally would be for the "Georgian Dream" to leave the government.
The majority of opposition leaders attended the rally. They delivered a speech and called on the gathered community to stay strong.
Among the leaders was Gigi Ugulava, one of the leaders of European Georgia. Ugulava said the fight would not be easy, but first they needed to deny access to the parliament for members of the Georgian Dream.
Grigol Vashadze, one of the leaders of the United Opposition, spoke at the rally and revealed that they weren’t planning on leaving the territory the whole night.
“We are not going anywhere and starting to completely shut down Parliament because it has lost its function. This night will show what we are capable of.”
Some of the leaders of the ruling party have made statements regarding the rally. Majority member Roman Kakulia says the opposition is "digging its way out of the dialogue” by picketing the parliament entrance. “When you start blocking a constitutional building, in my opinion, you are already destroying the path to dialogue, no matter how that dialogue ends."
Gia Volski, leader of the parliamentary majority, believes state should not allow the country to stop, “the danger that the state will be stopped, the GEL rate will fall and economic collapse will happen, should not be allowed by the state and this is also a public demand ...” he also commented on picketing and said that “picketing is a reflection of the policy of these people to engage people in actions that go against the law."
Amid the protests the leaders of the European Georgia decided to start picketing the parliament building, placing the locks on the gates of the building trying to stop the members of the majority from entering the building. Protesters set up tents at all entrances to the parliament and locked the doors to the yard of the legislature. Leaders of the opposition were the ones setting up tents near the entrances while the tents are still set up in front of the building, with the members of the protests saying that they will be staying there, taking shifts.
As it was said at the rally, the protestors would not allow lawmakers to enter the legislature. Later on, the part of the group protesting in front of the parliament decided to move to the head office of the Georgian Dream and continue their protests there. The light inside the head office went out quickly after. The place was under surveillance by the police officers who mostly stood on the sidelines. The protesters tried to leave writings on the wall and the police officers interfered.
One of the protesters was removed from the territory and a minor altercation took place when protesters tried to leave their messages on the walls. Overall, the protest by the head office ended peacefully, with the group moving back to the territory in front of the parliament.
Members of the ruling party made comments about their plan of action regarding the picketing of the building by the leaders of the opposition. Mamuka Mdinaradze, the chair of the Georgian Dream, said that the government will be focusing on making sure that the protests stay safe.
“All state structures, executive structures, and law enforcement agencies will act in accordance with the law. You can see that the leaders of the parties that had gathered there for three days failed to put forward a demand or voice a position that would be constitutional. Sometimes we are offered a German model, sometimes they said that with 100 votes the bill seems to have passed and so on. They have not even submitted a legally valid request,” said Mdinaradze.
