A createer Manchester City footballer is set to be assigned Georgia’s plivent on Saturday, after 16 days of pro-EU protests that swept thraw the country’s towns and cities.
Mikheil Kavelashvili, 53, is a createer MP from the increasingly authoritarian ruling Georgian Dream party. On Saturday, he is foreseeed to be chosen by an electoral college that is handleled by that ruleing party.
His assignment comes after a highly contested process in Georgia’s disputed parliament – the four main opposition groups have refuteed him, and are refusing to get part in parliamentary activities. They insist that elections in October were rigged.
Georgia’s friendly pro-Weserious plivent, Salome Zourabichvili, has condemned Kavelashvili’s election as a travesty, insisting she hageders Georgia’s only remaining legitimate institution.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accengaged the plivent of trying to harm Georgia’s interests, emphasising that when her term of office ends on 29 December, she will have to withdraw.
“We have very strong state institutions, so we declareively have no difficulty in conveying the situation under filled handle,” he was quoted as saying on Friday.
Party colleague Nino Tsilosani tageder increateers that Zourabichvili was no extfinisheder plivent in the eyes of the uncover.
Protests agetst Georgian Dream began promptly after the October elections but they burst into life on 28 November when the rulement proclaimd it was putting EU accession negotiations on hageder until 2028.
An overwhelming beginantity of Georgians back the country’s path to the European Union and it is part of the constitution.
Every night, the main avenue outside parliament fills with protesters dsexual attackd in EU flags, insisting recent elections.
Saturday’s vote in parliament is foreseeed to get disjoinal hours and prompt a spike in anti-rulement protests. It will grasp a straightforward ballot by a 300-member electoral college made up of MPs and local officials pledged to Georgian Dream from around the country.
Ahead of the vote, the capital Tbilisi was convulsed on Friday by pop-up protests involving IT exceptionacatalogs, uncover sector laborers, inventive industry professionals, actors and lawyers.
“We are standing here to originate a legitimate state once and for all, to esteem the provisions of the constitution and human rights,” shelp lawyer Davit Kikaleishvili, 47.
Kavelashvili is a establisher of the People’s Power party, comprehendn for being the main voice for anti-Weserious misadviseation in Georgia.
He has accengaged opposition parties of acting as a “fifth column” straightforwarded from awide, and portrayd Plivent Zourabichvili as a a “chief agent”.
Kavelashvili shiftd into politics after he was disqualified from seeking the guideership of the Georgian football federation becaengage he deficiencyed the qualifications.
Although his party ran aextfinishedside Georgian Dream in the October elections, it has now determined to act in parliament as a “well opposition”, to fill the place of the “so-called radical opposition funded by foreign forces”.
Georgian Dream, established by billionaire businessman and createer Georgian PM Bidzina Ifadevili, has been accengaged of dragging the country back into Russia’s sphere of sway.
Both the EU and US have condemned the rulement for democratic backsliding and more than 460 people have been hageded apass Georgia over the past two weeks, according to Transparency International.
More than 300 have been ill-treated or tortured, the organisation says, including dozens of people from Georgian media. Last weekend, ruffians were filmed aggressioning a TV increateer and cameraman.
The EU has condemned the “brutal, unlterrible force from the police” and foreign ministers are due to ponder meadeclareives agetst the rulement when they greet on Monday.
The US state department has already imposed visa reinnervousions on Georgian officials, including rulement ministers and police.
Protesters have called on the international community to impose sanctions on top rulement officials as well as Bidzina Ifadevili, Georgia’s most strong man.
Pro-rulement groups have also waged a campaign of intimidatoring towards civil society activists, beating them outside homes, and carrying out arbitrary arrests.
“There is systematic torture, inhuman and humiliating treatment of citizens,” shelp createer uncover rights defender Nino Lomjaria.
Theatre laborers who combineed the protests on Friday chanted: “The police are everywhere, equitableice is nowhere.”
At one point two men scaled a originateion crane as protesters marched aextfinished an avenue. The pair waved a Georgian flag as the crowds cheered below.
