Georgia’s PM accuses opposition of orchestrating protest violence

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze warns absorption leaders and NGOs volition beryllium held accountable for mounting wide protests against past month’s elections, portion tribunal rules against president’s bid to overturn vote.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused absorption groups of having “orchestrated violence,” arsenic monolithic antigovernment rallies stone the country.

Kobakhidze made the assertion connected Tuesday, arsenic dozens were reported to person been injured during protests against October’s disputed elections. The aforesaid day, Georgia’s apical tribunal dismissed a bid by the country’s pro-Western president to overturn the election.

Georgia’s Ministry of Labour, Health, and Social Affairs said that 26 people, including 23 protesters and 3 instrumentality enforcement officers were injured successful overnight clashes. Thousands took to the streets of Tbilisi connected Monday for a 5th consecutive time of immense protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party’s predetermination triumph and consequent determination to suspend talks connected joining the European Union.

“Opposition politicians who person orchestrated the unit successful caller days portion hiding successful their offices volition not flight responsibility,” Kobakhidze said astatine a quality conference. He added that NGOs would “not evade responsibility”.

The standoff betwixt riot constabulary and mostly young protesters continued passim the nighttime into Tuesday, with constabulary utilizing teardrop state arsenic demonstrators responded by throwing fireworks.

Protesters impeach the enactment of trying to bring Tbilisi backmost into Moscow’s orbit and were infuriated by Kobakhidze’s announcement past week that the authorities would shelve talks connected EU accession until 2028.

Crisis deepens

NATO main Mark Rutte connected Tuesday slammed the concern successful Georgia. “The reports of unit are profoundly concerning, and I condemn them unequivocally,” helium told a quality conference.

The Western subject confederation allies “urge the Georgian authorities to enactment connected the path” towards “more EU and NATO integration”, helium added.

The Caucasus state has seen respective waves of wide protests this twelvemonth against Georgian Dream, which has been successful powerfulness for much than a decade.

The governmental situation has deepened since its contested October election, with the absorption and the country’s pro-EU president, Salome Zurabishvili, accusing the enactment of rigging the election. Several Western countries person besides questioned its result.

However, Georgia’s apical tribunal connected Tuesday threw retired an effort by Zurabishvili and absorption groups to overturn the election.

“The Constitutional Court of Georgia did not judge the lawsuits of the president and governmental parties regarding the designation of the October 26 elections arsenic unconstitutional,” it said successful a statement.

Kobakhidze has insisted helium volition not clasp talks with the opposition, accusing them of trying to signifier a Ukraine-style pro-EU uprising, funded from abroad, successful comments that lucifer Russian narratives.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies