Grigol Vashadze, the leader of Georgia's United National Movement opposition party, called on his supporters to stage a rally near the national parliament over Interior Minister Georgy Gakharia's plans to run for prime minister
TBILISI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd September, 2019) Grigol Vashadze, the leader of Georgia's United National Movement opposition party, called on his supporters to stage a rally near the national parliament over Interior Minister Georgy Gakharia's plans to run for prime minister.On Tuesday, former Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze announced his resignation after a year in office. After that, Georgia's ruling party, Georgian Dream, nominated Gakharia as the candidate for the position of the prime minister. Gakharia, as the interior minister, ordered to disperse the anti-Russian rally in Tbilisi in June and after that the opposition has repeatedly called for his resignation.
"We cannot bear this anymore. The nomination of Gakharia for the prime minister is an offense to our society, opposition and those who protected the interests of our country on June 20. The opposition and the public must do everything to prevent Gakharia from being appointed [as the prime minister]. We demand that the leadership must deny his candidacy and refrain from escalating the situation. We are gathering near the parliament at 7:00 p.m. [15:00 GMT]," Vashadze told reporters.
Protests in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi erupted on June 20 over a Russian delegation's participation in a session of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy. Demonstrators tried to storm the parliament building, demanding the resignation of the parliament speaker and other officials. The rally was dispersed by special forces with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons. As a result, 240 people were injured and more than 300 were detained.
