Employers and workers in Georgia are being called to strike in support of new elections in the country, as well as to demand the release of detainees.
Information about the event appeared on social media. It is being organized on January 15 at 3:00 p.m. Businesses are asked to close their doors for three hours, and owners are asked to stay outside.
In this way, the authorities want to demonstrate what the consequences will be for Georgia if the vote is not held — economic stagnation, the closure of enterprises, poverty, and unemployment.
"Both the threat and the way out [of the difficult situation in the country] are common to all — new elections and the release of detainees. No matter where you work, whether you are a business owner, manager, or employee — join us," the organizers say.
Presidential elections in Georgia
Georgiaʼs presidential election was held on December 14. The electoral college, with an absolute majority of the pro-government “Georgian Dream” party, elected Mikheil Kavelashvili as head of state. Against this backdrop, the single-party parliament passed a number of bills, one of which would strip Zurabishvili of state protection after her presidential term ends.
In October, Georgiaʼs Constitutional Court ruled that Zurabishvili had violated the law by traveling to Europe without government approval. The government had denied the president access to meetings abroad, so she traveled to European partners at her own expense.
What preceded
Parliamentary elections were held in Georgia in October. According to the Central Election Commission, the pro-government, pro-Russian party “Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia” won, gaining 53.9% of the vote. Under Georgian law, this party has the right to form a government alone. The European Parliament did not recognize the election results.
Four more pro-Western opposition parties broke the 5% barrier. The opposition and the president disagreed with the results, and protests began.
On November 28, 2024, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze informed that Georgia would abandon EU accession negotiations until 2028. He explained that 2028 would supposedly be the time when Georgia would be economically ready to begin accession negotiations. After that, large-scale protests began in the country, which were dispersed by security forces using water cannons and tear gas.
Amid the violent dispersal of the protests, the US suspended the US-Georgian strategic partnership, and Georgian representatives in several EU countries and the US declared that they were resigning. Ukraine also imposed sanctions on the Georgian authorities for the dispersal of the protests. The United Kingdom will also suspend support for the Georgian authorities and limit cooperation with them.
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