Lithuanian parliamentarian Lhasa Dzhukneviciene said on X that it was a “travesty” to promote Kavelashvili, who has no higher education and is anti-Western despite his career as a footballer, to the presidency. He spoke at She visited Georgia this Thursday with a delegation from the European Parliament. “It’s the same as Russia, Belarus and other authoritarian states.”
According to local media reports, demonstrators stood outside parliament and said that the regular popular vote, which was last held in 2018, had been replaced by an electoral system and that Georgian Dream’s advantage in parliament was 10. They voiced their protest against the fact that it was based on an unfair parliamentary election held at the end of the month.
Georgia has experienced political turmoil in recent months, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s Georgian Dream victory in a contested election. Zurabichvili called the election “rigged.”
The government subsequently withdrew the country from the European Union accession process, sparking mass demonstrations in Tbilisi and other cities. Demonstrators and activists have experienced violence, arbitrary arrests, and other intimidation tactics.
“We call on the Georgian Dream to de-escalate tensions and put an end to this environment that poses serious costs to the Georgian people,” the EU said on Tuesday, respecting the wishes of the Georgian people to join the EU. I asked. Ukraine and several EU countries imposed sanctions on the Georgian government this month.
Kobakhidze insisted on Saturday that the government is “ready to do anything to make Georgia a member of the EU.”
Georgian Dream also introduced a Russian-style foreign agent law in early 2024 that sparked protests and harsh criticism from Zurabichvili.
