Riot police deployed tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tbilisi on Thursday night to protest the Georgian government’s U-turn on its EU accession bid. Protestors began gathering at the Georgian parliament after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the decision to pause EU accession efforts, stating that “Georgia should become an EU member with dignity, rather than by begging.” He added that the EU bid would not resume until the end of 2028, coinciding with the conclusion of the ruling Georgian Dream government’s fourth term. Georgia’s pro-EU President Salome Zourabichvili urged citizens to resist the…
Author: Dato Parulava
TBILISI, Georgia — U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday criticized the conduct of Georgia’s recent parliamentary election, which was marred by violence, and joined calls by European leaders for a transparent investigation into possible violations. Biden, who noted that international and domestic observers hadn’t described the elections as “free and fair,” called on the Georgian government to begin an “inclusive dialogue with all political forces in Georgia about restoring election integrity.” Biden also urged Georgian officials to repeal the country’s controversial law on “foreign agents,” which was introduced earlier this year and is widely believed to have been drawn from…
TBILISI, Georgia — Violence erupted at multiple polling stations in Georgia on Saturday as voters were casting their ballots in the South Caucasian country’s pivotal parliamentary election. “They beat us, spit at us, swore at us,” said election observer Gela Mtivlishvili at the Akhmeta polling station in eastern Georgia. Earlier at a different polling station, “we witnessed how a Georgian Dream party coordinator gave money to a voter,” he said. Journalists and activists reported cases of physical altercations at polling stations with what opposition politicians called “criminal gangs.” This parliamentary election is widely regarded as a defining point for the…
TBILISI, Georgia — In the lead-up to Saturday’s parliamentary election, the ruling Georgian Dream party is turning to some literal heavyweights. Number seven on the party list is 183 kg Lasha Talakhadze, a three-time Olympic weightlifting gold medalist. Number 10 is 125 kg Geno Petriashvili, a gold-medal winning wrestler in the Paris games. These national heroes may have united the nation round their TV sets during the Olympics, but whether they can cast the same magic at a political level is a very different matter. Saturday’s election promises to be highly divisive and is viewed as a defining moment for…