Source: US News & World Report
“The newly elected Georgian parliament opened its inaugural session Monday as opposition lawmakers and the president boycotted it and thousands of protesters, watched by riot police, rallied outside and accused the ruling party of rigging the vote under Russian influence. The Oct. 26 election that kept the Georgian Dream party in power was widely seen as a referendum on the country’s effort to join the European Union. Opposition parties refused to participate in the parliament’s activities, and only 88 lawmakers, all Georgian Dream members, were in the hall as the 150-seat parliament held its first session. Nika Melia, leader of Coalition for Changes, vowed that the opposition ‘will do everything to defeat the so-called government, the self-proclaimed government.'” (11/25/24)