TBILISI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th November, 2019) Anti-government protesters set up tents outside the Georgian parliament in the capital of Tbilisi after it voted down a long-awaited change to the voting procedure, a Sputnik correspondent said.
Protesters slammed Bidzina Ivanishvili, head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, of failing to deliver on his promise to switch the parliamentary election system from mixed to proportional representation.
"This is a sign that we are not leaving until our demands are met, in particular until a snap election is called and the government resigns," Beso Bregvadze, a demonstrator, said.
People blocked the main street in Tbilisi, paralyzing traffic. Crowds were seen ebbing as dark fell, but protesters promised to return on Friday. Police patrols have been mobilized.
Ivanishvili promised to hold legislative elections next year under the proportional voting system, which grants parties seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them. The opposition argues that the current mixed system favors the governing party.
