[ad_1]
Georgian police fired a water cannon at hundreds of protesters who gathered in front of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to support an opposition call for a replay of the October 31 parliamentary elections that they say were rigged.
Some witnesses and television channels reported that the police also used tear gas, but the police denied the complaint.
Then small groups of protesters started throwing stones at the police. The protesters had moved to the CEC building from the capital’s main Rustaveli avenue, where thousands of people held a peaceful demonstration.
Police said protesters tried to storm the CEC building.
“As the protesters used violent methods and did not obey the instructions of the police, the Interior Ministry used proportional force within its powers,” the ministry said in a statement.
Georgia ombudsman and public rights defender Nino Lomjaria criticized the use of water cannons.
“The use of water cannons in cold weather and against peaceful protesters was not justified,” he told reporters.
The opposition demands the resignation of the head of the CEC, Tamar Zhvania, and the convening of new elections.
According to official results, the ruling Georgian Dream party obtained 48.23% of the votes, and the largest opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), obtained 27.18%.
After the result gave the ruling party the right to form a government, eight opposition parties, including UNM, said they would boycott parliament.
The opposition accuses the ruling party and its supporters of vote buying, threats against voters and observers and violations during the counting process. Georgia Dream leaders have denied the allegations.
The protesters moved to the CEC building after the 8 pm deadline to remove the head of the electoral commission and begin talks on a new vote passed without a response from the government.
The economy of the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak.
Yesterday, the government said it would impose a nightly curfew starting Monday between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in the largest cities due to a sharp increase in cases since early September.
[ad_2]