Tbilisi postponed the lighting of lights on the Christmas tree in front of the parliament due to protests

Tbilisi City Hall has postponed the lighting of lights on the Christmas tree near the Georgian Parliament building due to protests. This was announced on December 14 by Kakha Kaladze, general secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party and mayor of the city.

"We have decided to postpone the lighting of the New Year's tree, the holiday. This event will take place when the radical opposition stops blocking the road for children and gives them an opportunity to light the Christmas tree," Georgian TV channel 1TV quoted the mayor as saying.

According to him, the opposition took the place of children in front of the Christmas tree. He noted that aggressive protesters gathered on Rustaveli Street, throwing glass bottles and organizing other provocations. Kaladze added that many citizens came to the City Council with children and noted that the authorities will not allow the protesters to pass to Rustaveli Avenue and will call on them to disperse.

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Tbilisi City Hall previously announced that the lighting of the Christmas tree will take place on December 14. The day before the incumbent Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili called the decision to hold a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in front of the parliament building, where daily rallies are held, a provocation on the day of the presidential election.

Kaladze then apologized for her candidacy in the 2018 elections and added that she served not Georgia but foreign forces with "hatred and bile."

On December 14, it was reported that Georgian presidential candidate Mikhail Kavelashvili of the Georgian Dream party won the required 200 votes in the presidential election.

Thepresidential election in the republic was held on the same day. For the first time in the history of Georgia, not citizens but the electoral college voted for the candidate for the post of the head of state. The session began at 09:00 (08:00 Moscow time) and lasted until 14:00 (13:00 Moscow time). The collegium consists of 300 people, 211 of them are members of the Georgian Dream.

Protests are underway in Georgia over the suspension of European integration talks and the opposition's disagreement with the results of parliamentary elections. Protesters tried to set fire to the Georgian parliament building and damaged dozens of offices, and law enforcement agencies had to use tear gas.

On November 30, Zurabishvili said she would not give up her powers. In her opinion, the parliament of the new convocation is illegitimate, so her powers will continue after the end of her mandate. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze responded by warning that she would be required by law to leave office on December 29.