Georgian Prime Minister: Protesters Aimed to Overthrow Government with European Support
According to the English section of webangah News Agency, citing Mehr News Agency and France 24, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that more than seven thousand participants took part in Western-backed anti-government protests. He described these demonstrations as an attempt to overthrow his government.
Kobakhidze said protesters who stormed the Presidential Palace intended to bring down his administration. He also accused the European Union of interfering in Georgia’s internal political affairs.
Following the ruling party’s victory in local elections and police use of force against demonstrators, Kobakhidze vowed to arrest opposition figures.
speaking to reporters, the prime minister declared that opposition forces would no longer be allowed political activity in Georgia. he added that several individuals, primarily organizers behind this coup attempt, have already been detained.
Georgian riot police used pepper spray and water cannons to disperse protesters from the Presidential Palace. On Saturday, five political activists were arrested.
Kobakhidze asserted that despite support from the European Union, this effort by over seven thousand people to overthrow Georgia’s constitutional system failed.
“They acted with intent to topple [the government], and when this attempt failed, they began distancing themselves,” he said. “No one will evade responsibility for this action, including political accountability.”
The prime minister also accused the EU ambassador to Georgia of meddling in domestic politics and urged them to condemn the protests.
The ruling party Georgian Dream announced on saturday it had won across all municipalities nationwide in Georgia’s population of 3.7 million located in the South Caucasus region.Two major opposition parties had boycotted these elections.
The Western-aligned Georgian opposition has held protests since October last year following claims of electoral fraud after parliamentary elections won by Georgian Dream.
The ruling party denies any election fraud allegations.relations between Georgia and western countries have deteriorated as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
