Opposition holding rally in Tbilisi demanding repeat parliamentary elections. Photo
Most of the opposition parties that ran in the October 31 elections have said they do not recognise the election results and plan to launch protests.
Thousands of supporters gathered at four o’clock in the afternoon on November 1 by the parliament on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, cutting off traffic in the process.
Politicians from different parties alternate at the microphone, and voice the same demand – to hold elections for a second time.
By 6 pm, the protesters headed towards the business center of Bidzina Ivanishvili, an oligarch and head of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Many in Georgia and beyond call him the country’s “shadow ruler”.
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The opposition says it plans to start permanent protests with two demands: the appointment of early elections and the resignation of the chairman of the Central Election Commission, Tamar Zhvania, with a change in the commission itself.
The opposition plans to hold the next rally in a week – on November 8. Activists from the regions are expected to to arrive in Tbilisi as well.
Preliminary results of the parliamentary elections in Georgia as of 18.00 on November 1 are as follows:
• Ruling Georgian Dream party: 48.05%
• United Opposition bloc (with United National Movement): 27.07%
• European Georgia: 3.79%
• Alliance of Patriots of Georgia: 3.18%
• Lelo for Georgia: 3.17%
• Strategy Aghmashenebeli: 3.15%
• Girchi – 2.92%
• Civil Movement: 1.34%
• Labor Party: 1.02%
