21:57, 25 June 2019

Archil Talakvadze elected Speaker of Georgian Parliament

Georgian Parliament building in Tbilisi. Photo: REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili

By majority of votes, Georgian MPs have elected Archil Talakvadze as their Speaker. Immediately after election, he assured that he would not allow any Russian State Duma MPs to the parliamentary sessions.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in Georgia, protest actions are being held daily starting from June 20. The protesters have already succeeded in achieving the resignation of Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze.

Activists began storming the parliament after the Russian MP Sergei Gavrilov appeared in the chair of the parliament speaker. Russian Communist Party MP was attending opening of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy in Tbilisi.

Today, Archil Talakvadze was elected Speaker by secret ballot of the majority of 94 MPs.

In his post-election speech, Talakvadze touched on the dispersal of the protest action, during which both protesters and policemen suffered. "We must surely assess what happened," said Talakvadze, whose words are quoted the parliament's message, sent to the "Caucasian Knot".

Talakvadze has assured that no Russian State Duma MPs will ever enter the building of the Georgian Parliament.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 25, 2019 at 03:16 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Inna Kukudzhanova

Source: CK correspondent