Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced a major crackdown against protesters on Sunday as violent anti-government demonstrations took place across the country following the ruling party’s landslide win in the local elections.
“No one will escape responsibility. This includes political responsibility,” Kobakhidze said, according to Georgian news agency Interpress.
Georgia held municipal elections on Saturday that saw the ruling populist party Georgian Dream secure a sweeping victory across all 64 municipalities, results which are contested over a lack of independent scrutiny of the ballot. Dozens of opponents and activists were jailed in the run-up to the vote.
Anti-government protesters stormed the presidential palace on Saturday during a massive pro-democracy demonstration, prompting police to reportedly fired tear gas and water cannons.
The country has suffered from major political unrest since the 2024 national elections when the Georgian Dream party was accused of tampering with the votes, fueling a bitter battle between the government and opposition parties.
The ruling party halted EU accession talks shortly after the 2024 elections, a move that triggered a wave of anti-government protests that have been met with mass arrests.
Kobakhidze on Sunday accused the EU ambassador to Georgia of interfering in national politics and supporting an “attempt to overthrow constitutional order.”
EU Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński “should come out, distance himself and strictly condemn everything that is happening on the streets of Tbilisi,” said Kobakhidze, adding that the envoy “bears special responsibility in this context.”
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