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       TBILISI: Thousands took part in a fourth day of stormy nationwide protests against a government decision to shelve EU membership talks, as the prime minister rebuf-fed calls for new elections.

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       The Black Sea nation has been rocked by turmoil since the governing Geor-gian Dream party claimed victory in October 26 parliamentary polls that the pro-European opposition said were fraudulent.

       The opposition is boycotting the new parliament, while pro-EU Presi-dent Salome Zurabi-shvili has asked the constitutional court to annul the election result and decla-red the new legislature and government “illegitimate”.

       Tens of thousands have taken to the streets for the protests against the election result and now Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhi-dze’s announcement on Thursday that Georgia would not seek to open accession talks with the European Union until 2028. About 150 demonstrators have been arrested in the new wave of protests.

       Thousands waving European and Georgian flags gathered outside parliament on Sunday evening, with some banging on the metal door blocking its entrance. Some protesters wore diving masks to shield their eyes from tear gas, which law enforcement has used in recent days. Simultaneous protests took place in cities across Georgia.

       Fuelling popular anger, Kobakhidze ruled out new parliamentary elections, saying that “the formation of the new government based on the October 26 parliamentary elections has been completed.” Critics accuse Georgian Dream, in power for more than a decade, of having steered the country away from the EU in recent years and of moving closer to Russia, an accusation it denies.

       Earlier this week, the party nominated far-right former football international Mikheil Kavela-shvili for the largely ceremonial post of president.

       Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2024