The opposition in Georgia called Thursday (February 18) for early parliamentary elections after the resignation of Prime Minister Guiorgui Gakharia, who is leaving power in the midst of a political crisis to protest an attempt to arrest a leading opponent.
Read also: The Nord Stream II gas pipeline, collateral victim of the diplomatic crisis between Germany and Russia
The departure of the 45-year-old head of government is the latest twist in the crisis that has shaken this Caucasian country since the legislative elections in October, marred by fraud according to the opposition, which is boycotting from Parliament.
"
I made the decision to leave my post,
" said Guiorgui Gakharia, a surprise departure motivated by the decision the day before a Georgian court to order the remand in custody of Nika Melia, leader of the United National Movement ( MNU), party of ex-president in exile Mikheïl Saakachvili.
"
It is inadmissible to apply a judicial decision (...) if this presents a risk to the health and life of our fellow citizens and creates the possibility of political escalation in the country
", he said.
Nika Melia is accused of having organized "
mass violence
" during the large-scale protests that rocked the country for nearly a week in 2019 and faces nine years in prison.
He denounces "
repressions against the opposition
".
His supporters had warned that they would resist the police if they came to arrest him.
The ruling Georgian Dream Party has announced the appointment of Defense Minister and former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, 38, to succeed Guiorgui Gakharia.
This appointment was described as "
comical
" by Nika Melia, who assured that this decision meant that "
the Georgian Dream is over and that early elections are imminent
".
"
Power will change in Georgia peacefully and very soon,
" he said.
The opposition is calling for early legislative elections since the disputed elections in October, narrowly won by the Georgian Dream, a party founded by ex-prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, the richest man in the country, suspected of controlling power in underhand.
"
Confidence in person
"
Georgians interviewed Thursday by AFP in Tbilisi, the capital, showed their weariness in the face of this new episode in a country accustomed to political turbulence.
“
Gakharia is smart, he found an opportunity to escape this swamp.
The rest of the government is a bunch of idiots who only think about money,
”said Tamaz Pitskhelauri, a 65-year-old electrician.
“
Corruption is flourishing and we don't know which party or politician to trust.
Many young people do not trust anyone in Georgia,
”said Ana Bedia, 24-year-old librarian.
Read also: The impossible European diplomacy against Putin
The opponent Nika Melia is holed up in his party's headquarters in Tbilisi, where the leaders of almost all the opposition parties met on Wednesday to support him.
After an aborted arrest attempt Thursday morning, the Interior Ministry announced that it had "
temporarily postponed
" the operation following the resignation of the Prime Minister.
In a statement released Thursday, the European Union called on "
both the authorities and the opposition in Georgia to act with the utmost restraint and responsibility to avoid further escalation
."
The US State Department, for its part, said in a statement to be "
gravely concerned about recent political events in Georgia
".
"
We urge the Georgian government to act in accordance with its Euro-Atlantic aspirations and to strengthen its commitments in favor of Democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law, ensuring that its judicial system remains sheltered from any political interference
, ”adds the text.
Nika Melia is accused of instigating violence during protests in front of parliament in June 2019. These erupted after a guest Russian deputy spoke from the seat of the Speaker of Parliament, a controversial move as the two countries have strained relations and clashed in a short war in 2008. Guiorgui Gakharia, who held the post of Minister of the Interior during the protests, had ordered the repression of the movement by the police, who used tear gas and rubber bullets, causing injuries.
He was appointed prime minister in September 2019.
