Georgian MP sustains head injury

The Georgian Parliament turned into a real hot spot today. First it was Emzar Kvitsiani, a member of the ‘Patriots’ Alliance’ (a political party known for its loyal attitude to Russia) who opposed Giga Bokeria, the ‘European Georgia’ leader (ex-member of Mikheil Saakashvili’s team, who set up an individual party). Kvitsiani blamed Bokeria for being a foreign country’s ‘resident agent’ and then threw a glass of water and a writing pen at him. Kvitsiani was planning to respond in kind, but was stopped by the sergeants-at-arms.

The Parliament Chairman had to announce a break in session in order to stop the verbal exchange between the MPs.

Another incident, this time more bloody, took place in the Parliament’s briefing room, where the MPs from the ruling Georgian Dream and the ‘European Georgia’ parties opposed each other.

Shortly after that, a ‘European Georgia’ member, MP Otar Kakhidze, was escorted from the room with a head injury.

Eyewitnesses say, Kakhidze’s team-mate, Giorgi Kandelaki, threw an ashtray that accidentally hit him on the temple. Kandelaki was actually targeting the ‘Georgian Dream’ member Vano Zardiashvili, though, he apparently missed the target.

Brawls and physical confrontations are quite common in the Georgian Parliament, though what happened today is still a historic event, as the parliamentary MP’s at this convocation (parliamentary elections were held on 8 October 2016) haven’t laid into each other so far.