Political analysts treat talks of Georgian authorities with opposition as concession

Georgian authorities have yielded to the opposition by starting negotiations on the results of the parliamentary elections. However, the talks may get protracted, the political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 31, Georgia had its parliamentary elections by using a mixed electoral system. After the elections, the opposition went out to rallies, refusing to recognize the election outcomes.

On November 12, members of the ruling "Georgian Dream-Democratic Movement" Party and the oppositional parties that have overcome the electoral barrier held their first meeting.

The "Georgian Dream" has realized that it was at an impasse and agreed to sit down at the negotiating table. Prior to this, the opposition demanded negotiations, but the ruling party flatly refused, revealing the absence of understanding of what was happening in the country. Only after the protests did they realize what was happening and understood that they had nowhere to go," Vakhtang Maisaya, Doctor of Military and Political Sciences, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Mr Maisaya did not rule out that the "Georgian Dream" will have to fulfil two demands of the opposition – to hold re-elections and change the leadership of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

Nika Chitadze, the head of the Centre for Security Studies and International Relations, believes that oppositionists will not be able to agree to work in the parliament after the protests, because in this case their supporters will turn their backs on them. At the same time, he believes that the negotiations may drag on, as it will be difficult for the opposition to achieve its goals.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 14, 2020 at 10:59 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.