Georgian Protesters, Opposition Vow to Bring Down Ruling Party

(Bloomberg) -- Thousands of people rallied in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, led by the country’s opposition parties, to denounce the government’s failure to pass constitutional amendments that would introduce a proportional voting system for the 2020 elections.

The protesters marched to parliament and vowed to block it until their demands for new free and fair elections are met. Grigol Vashadze, the leader of the United National Movement, said his party is standing with many others despite their differing political views as they all push for a new vote.

The mass protests began on Nov. 14 when only 101 lawmakers supported the amendments, not enough for the motion to pass. The main avenue outside parliament was then blocked and some activists put up tents to keep protests going.

“I am here because it’s a state capture and being in the streets is the only way we can express ourselves,” protester Giorgi Gelbakhiani said in an interview outside parliament.

The ruling party leader, billionaire Bidzina Ivanisvhili, who proposed the changes to the voting system, said he was “disappointed” with the failure of the vote, which the protesters say they refuse to believe.

To contact the reporter on this story: Helena Bedwell in Tbilisi at hbedwell@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Torrey Clark at tclark8@bloomberg.net, James Amott, Sara Marley

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.