TBILISI, June 28 – A major scuffle in Georgia’s parliament on Friday began after an opposition MP mocked Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s political standing, according to a detailed reconstruction published by Rezonansi. DFWatch has already reported that MPs from the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition Gakharia for Georgia clashed physically during the final … Read more
TBILISI, June 27 – Former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia said Saturday that being in the opposition in Georgia has become a physical safety risk, after a confrontation in parliament on Friday left one of his party colleagues needing medical assistance. The incident took place during a tense political session in parliament, where Prime Minister Irakli … Read more
TBILISI, June 16 – Former Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili has called for a new “united front” against the ruling Georgian Dream party, but the idea was met with irritation and skepticism from parts of the opposition. Zourabichvili wrote on Facebook on June 14 that trust in the “regime” was being lost even among its most … Read more
TBILISI, January 30 – Georgia’s government has announced plans to merge the country’s flagship Tbilisi State University with its main technical university, triggering political protests in the capital. Education Minister Givi Mikanadze said TSU and the Georgian Technical University will be combined, and the merged institution will keep the name of Tbilisi State University. He … Read more
TBILISI, December 16 – Lawmakers in Georgia are clashing over whether to open a special investigative commission to review how police handled mass protests last year, including what was put in water cannons used to disperse crowds. The push is coming from the For Georgia faction of former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia. The faction has … Read more
TBILISI, November 20 – An opposition lawmaker on Thursday challenged the government’s version of a breakdown in human rights dialogue with Brussels, claiming that the ruling party was trying to circumvent sanctions policy. Vika Pilpani, a member of parliament for the For Georgia party, claimed Tbilisi attempted to send a sanctioned official as part of … Read more
TBILISI, October 29 – Georgia’s ruling party Georgian Dream has formally petitioned the Constitutional Court to ban three opposition parties, accusing them of working to undermine the country’s democratic order. The move, announced Tuesday, has set off fierce debate in Tbilisi and beyond, with critics calling it a political purge and supporters saying it’s a … Read more
TBILISI, October 28 – Georgia’s political scene heated up Tuesday as former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s party finally took its 12 seats in parliament after nearly a year-long boycott, and immediately clashed with lawmakers from the ruling Georgian Dream party. The session opened with parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili greeting the opposition newcomers with a jab: … Read more
TBILISI, October 20 – The opposition party For Georgia (“sakartvelostvis”) said on Monday it will end its year-long boycott of the legislature, switching sides among a deeply divided opposition. With party founder Giorgi Gakharia currently in exile, the dramatic switchover was announced at a press briefing by a deputy leader, Giorgi Sharashidze, and means the … Read more
TBILISI, September 1 – Former Georgian prime minister Giorgi Gakharia has been outside the country for more than two months, and on August 30 local media reported that he has received residency in Germany. His party, For Georgia, which is running a joint candidate with Lelo for Tbilisi mayor, did not confirm the claim but … Read more