Tbilisi unrest: Police clear protesters amid election dispute
The Georgian police have expelled protesters from the area adjacent to the state university in Tbilisi and dismantled the tent city, reports Echo of the Caucasus. Early in the morning, the police used tear gas.
According to the portal, special units and water cannons were mobilized on the spot, but "measures of direct coercion were not used." At this moment, it is not known how many people have been detained.
Security forces expelled the protesters
A police representative warned the opposition that they must restore vehicle traffic, which has been blocked since November 17. In the middle of the night, the police removed tents, artificially created barricades, and parked vehicles from the roadway.
As reported by the Dozhd channel in the morning, in the center of Tbilisi, "the dispersal of protesters is ongoing. The police used tear gas. Several protesters were taken away by ambulances."
On November 17, protesters demanded new parliamentary elections. Students set up about 30 tents near the State University in Tbilisi. Participants were given blankets, mats, hot tea, and access to portable toilets.
The night from Sunday to Monday passed peacefully. Neither the authorities nor the police issued any statements. On the evening of November 18, the opposition announced that the protest would continue.
The President of Georgia warns
The President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, warned on Monday that the country faces a risk of dual power and destabilization following the October parliamentary elections. She announced she would challenge the election result in the Constitutional Court.
Zurabishvili stated that the parliamentary elections "did not take place" and that there were violations of the principles of secrecy and universality—wrote the portal Echo of the Caucasus. According to the results, which show the ruling Georgian Dream as the winner, the president will challenge them on Tuesday in the Constitutional Court.
The president warned that Georgia faces destabilization, dual power, and polarization. She deemed it necessary to solve systemic problems and then hold new elections. Zurabishvili also spoke in favour of the current government and parliament continuing their work.
According to the constitution, it is the President of Georgia who should convene the first session of the new parliament—reminds the portal Echo of the Caucasus. Nevertheless, the Georgian Dream government announced that the session would take place on November 25, and a new cabinet lineup would be presented to the parliament, according to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
The pro-European opposition, which does not recognize the election results, announced the renunciation of mandates. In a letter sent on Monday to the EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, opposition leaders called for the appointment of a special mission to investigate election interference.
source: Echo of the Caucasus / PAP
