Georgian president Salome Zurabishvili, who is in conflict with the government, called yesterday for the production of new parliamentary elections, after the ruling party “Georgian Dream” won the elections in October, which the opposition condemned as falsified, reported France Press, quoted by BTA.
The pro-Western opposition in this Caucasian country refused to recognize the results of the parliamentary elections, which ended with the victory of the party “Georgian Dream”, accused of an authoritarian and pro-Russian bias.
The Georgian president, who has limited powers, condemned at a press conference “elections controlled and manipulated by one party”, referring to the “Georgian dream”.
„Today we are facing a crisis”, she said and added that it is necessary to organize “new elections so that Georgia can have a legitimate parliament and a legitimate government”.
Zourabishvili, who accuses Russia of meddling in the election, announced that a group of lawmakers from eight European countries, including France and Germany, were in Georgia to help “find ways out of this crisis”.
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The Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili refused to meet the delegation.
The delegation, for its part, joined a pro-European opposition demonstration outside parliament last night.
„We are here to encourage you,” said Michael Roth, head of the foreign affairs committee of the German parliament, to the thousands of demonstrators.
„You are surprised, disappointed, tired, but dear friends, do not despair, we are with you,”, he added.
The European Union, which Georgia is seeking to join, is putting pressure on the country's government after the October 26 election.
On Friday, European Council President Charles Michel said that “there are serious suspicions of fraud which require a full investigation”.
The ruling Georgian Dream party, for its part, claims that the vote was free and fair and that EU membership remains an “absolute priority” of her government.