Clashes at Georgian parliament after Gakhariya's nomination for premiership

The MPs from the "European Georgia" and "United National Movement" (UNM) Parties have quitted the parliamentary session in protest against the nomination of Giorgi Gakhariya for the post of the Prime Minister. The action of their supporters at the parliament building led to clashes with the police. The appointment of Gakhariya will increase the confrontation within the society and lead to new protests, oppositional MPs believe.

On September 2, the Georgian Prime Minister, Mamuka Bakhtadze, announced his resignation. The ruling "Georgian Dream" Party has nominated Giorgi Gakhariya, whose resignation from the post of the head of the Ministry if Internal Affaires (MIA) had been demanded by protesters, for the post of Premier. The candidate has already announced the upcoming reshuffle within the government.

At the start of the session, the MPs from the "European Georgia" began whistling to express their disagreement with the nomination, the "Imedi" TV Company broadcasts.

The Gakhariya's nomination is "a slap in the face of the society and a declaration of political war," Giga Bokeriya, an MP, said on air of the Public Broadcaster.

"This is an insult to the people, who had for three months spoken out against violence and law violations," Elene Khoshtariya, an MP, has stated on the "Imedi".

Eka Beseliya, an independent MP, believes that Gakhariya's nomination will lead to a political crisis.

In the opinion of Valery Chechelashvili, the head of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, Gakhariya is a talented and active person, but his activities will cause a mixed reaction among the society and Georgia's partners.