2020–2021 Georgian political crisis

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The 2020–2021 Georgian political crisis started after the 2020 Georgian parliamentary election. The opposition accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of election fraud and did not recognize the results. They announced protests and parliamentary boycott. The opposition held a rally on November 1, a day after the elections, and called for snap parliamentary elections. On November 2, the eight opposition parties refused to enter parliament. In February 2021, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia resigned over plans to arrest opposition leader Nika Melia, which occurred on 23 February.^[1][2]

Protests[]

On November 1, a day after the parliamentary elections, the opposition parties and civil society organizations accused Central Election Commission of falsifying the election results in favour of the ruling Georgian Dream party and started protesting the alleged election fraud. During the protests the United National Movement majoritarian candidate for Gldani constituency Nika Melia took off the monitoring bracelet which he was obliged to wear by the court after being charged with organizing, managing or participating in group violence during the 2019 protests and released on bail, saying that "this is the symbol of injustice".^[3]

On 3 November 2020, all eight opposition parties who received the parliamentary mandates signed a joint statement renouncing their seats in the parliament. They also boycotted the second round of election and called on voters to abstain. 12 other opposition parties, who were unable to enter the legislative body also joined the agreement.^[4][5] Following parties and coalitions signed the agreement: United National Movement, European Georgia, Alliance of Patriots, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Lelo for Georgia, Girchi, Citizens, Labour Party, Republican Party, State for the People, European Democrats, Law and Justice, United Georgia, Tribune, Victorious Georgia, For the Justice, Free Democrats, Freedom, Free Georgia, Christian Democratic Movement.

The oppostion held daily rallies and performances in Tbilisi and the regions. On November 8, the rallies were held in Tbilisi, Batumi, where many people were mobilized, calling on the Georgian Dream to hold repeat elections.^[6] Georgian Dream members said that the election was fair and competitive and it was not rigged. The international organizations also recognized the election results. A large-scale rally was held on November 14 as well as on November 17-18, when US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Georgia. On November 26 the Prime Minister of the Georgia Giorgi Gakharia announced a large-scale two-months-long nationwide restriction plan starting from November 28 to slow a second wave of resurgent COVID-19 outbreak in the country.^[7] After that, the rallies were stopped and negotiations have already started.

Negotiations[]

After the November 8 rally, the government of Georgia began negotiations with the opposition. Several rounds of talks were held as early as November but the parties failed to reach an agreement. Negotiations continued in December. International organizations were involved in the talks this time. Certain issues were agreed upon, but some were still unresolved. At the same time, the President of Georgia chose December 11 as the date for the new parliament to hold first session. The Georgian Dream wanted to agree on negotiations by this time, but it failed, and the parliament of the 10th convocation started working unilaterally.^[8] After that, the opposition again refused to enter parliament. At the same time, the representatives of the opposition asked the parliament to cancel their mandates, which meant that the opposition would not be in the parliament until the new elections, i.e. until 2024.

End of unilateral boycott[]

The year 2020 ended in such a way that none of the opposition MPs entered the parliament. On 5 January 2021, four businessmen from the Alliance of Patriots proportional list entered the Parliament replacing the top three on the party list – Irma Inashvili, and , whose requests to annul their parliamentary mandates had been granted by the Parliament the day before. They launched the European Socialists, which became the first opposition party in the 10th convocation of the Georgian Parliament.^[9]

Following the European Socialists, the Citizens party, which recently found itself at odds with the rest of the boycotting opposition, began separate negotiations with the ruling party and agreed to quit the opposition's boycott and enter the Parliament after having signed electoral reform deal with the Georgian Dream.^[10] The decision of the Citizens was criticized by other opposition parties. Most of the opposition continued to boycott and demand new elections. The ruling party stated that the suspension of MP status for other opposition legislators would be voted on only after the fifth round of election talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition.

Arrest of Nika Melia[]

After parliament did not suspend mandates for opposition lawmakers on February 1, the opposition called the Georgian Dream "a weak and coward party" that feared the consequences. Meanwhile, the court increased the bail for Nika Melia, the chairman of the UNM, after he took off a monitoring bracelet on November 1. Melia refused to pay bail, despite numerous warnings about the violation of law. On February 17, the court sentenced him to imprisonment. Nika Melia himself was in the UNM office and called on the people to support him, asserting that his prosecution was politically motivated. The international organizations called on the Georgian Dream not to take further steps to avoid more polarization. The supporters mobilized near the UNM office. On February 18 Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia resigned, saying that he could not agree with the Georgian Dream that it was not right time for Melia's detention and that the rivalry inside the country poses serious threats of destabilisation.^[11] The Ministry of Internal Affairs decided to postpone the operation, but only temporarily after the situation was neutralized. On February 23, the police stormed the UNM office and arrested Melia.^[12] The opposition renewed the rallies. The political crisis deepened even more.

See also[]

• Politics of Georgia
• 2019 Georgian protests

References[]