ジョージア首都の抗議デモ、数万人規模に　首相は議会選やり直し拒否

【トビリシＡＦＰ＝時事】ジョージアで１日、欧州連合（ＥＵ）加盟交渉の中断決定に対する抗議デモが４日目に突入した。首都トビリシの議会前でのデモ参加者は数万人規模に膨れ上がった。（写真は、ジョージアの首都トビリシの議会前で、政府の欧州連合〈ＥＵ〉加盟交渉中断決定に抗議するデモで国旗を掲げる参加者たち）
　１０月に行われた議会選で、ロシア寄りとされる与党「ジョージアの夢」が勝利したが、親欧米派の野党は選挙の不正を主張。以来、混乱が深まっていたところに先月末、イラクリ・コバヒゼ首相がＥＵ加盟交渉を２０２８年まで停止すると発表したのを契機に、トビリシなど都市部で抗議の波が広がった。
　野党は開会した新議会をボイコットしており、親欧米派のサロメ・ズラビシビリ大統領は今回の選挙を「違憲」と主張。憲法裁判所を通じて選挙無効を訴えている。
　内務省は抗議デモでこれまでに約１５０人が逮捕されたと発表しているが、弁護士団体は２００人としている。
　ＡＦＰの取材班によると１日夕には、親欧米派の数万人が議会前に集結。機動隊が催涙ガスや放水砲を使用し解散させようとしたが、抗議集会は深夜まで続いた。付近では一部の参加者に避難場所を提供する教会もあった。
　民衆は、コバヒゼ首相が議会選のやり直しを拒否し、「１０月２６日の議会選に基づく組閣は完了した」と宣言したことで、怒りを一段と募らせている。
　与党は今週、主に儀礼的な役割とされる大統領職に、同国の元サッカー代表選手で極右のミハイル・カベラシビリ氏を指名した。
　しかし、ズラビシビリ大統領は１１月３０日のＡＦＰとの独占インタビューで、議会選のやり直しが実施されるまで辞任しないと明言した。
　欧州議会は議会選の結果を認めておらず、「重大な不正行為」の調査と選挙のやり直し、さらにコバヒゼ首相を含むジョージア高官への制裁を求めている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/12/02-16:57）

Police in Georgia fired tear gas and water cannon Sunday on a fourth straight day of pro-EU protests that drew tens of thousands of people, as the prime minister rebuffed calls for new elections.
The Black Sea nation has been rocked by turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party claimed victory in October 26 parliamentary polls that the pro-European opposition said were fraudulent.
The turmoil has deepened since Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on Thursday that Georgia was shelving accession talks with the European Union until 2028, sparking a wave of protests in the capital, Tbilisi, and other cities.
The opposition is boycotting the new parliament, while pro-EU President Salome Zurabishvili has asked the constitutional court to annul the election result, declaring the new legislature and government illegitimate.
Critics accuse Georgian Dream, in power for more than a decade, of having steered the country away from the European Union in recent years and of moving closer to Russia, an accusation it denies.
The interior ministry has said about 150 demonstrators have been arrested in this latest protest wave, while the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association put the number at 200.
Police in some instances have chased protesters through the streets, beating them and firing rubber bullets and tear gas.
Waving European and Georgian flags, tens of thousands rallied outside parliament on Sunday evening, AFP reporters saw.
Some demonstrators tossed fireworks and stones at riot police, while others banged on the metal door blocking parliament's entrance.
- 'Not my government' -
Police later fired water cannon, but were unable to disperse the crowds.
Late at night, riot police in full gear moved in, using tear gas and water cannon to disperse the rally.
Shouting Fuck Russia, protesters built barricades from dustbins and set them ablaze.
Nearby, priests offered shelter to some protesters inside a church.
The leader of the opposition United National Movement party, Levan Khabeishvili, told journalists that he was attacked by around 15 masked police officers attempting to detain him, but said he had managed to escape with the help of protesters.
Georgian Dream... is a (pro-) Russian government, and they must go, demonstrator Alexandre Diasamidze, a 32-year-old bartender, told AFP.
Another protest took place outside the offices of Georgia's Public Broadcaster (GPB), widely accused of acting as a propaganda tool for the ruling party.
The broadcaster conceded to the protesters' demand to grant Zurabishvili airtime, which it had previously denied her.
Simultaneous protests took place in cities across Georgia.
Fuelling popular anger, Kobakhidze ruled out new parliamentary elections, saying that the formation of the new government based on the October 26 parliamentary elections has been completed.
Earlier this week, the party nominated far-right former football international Mikheil Kavelashvili for the largely ceremonial post of president.
But Zurabishvili told AFP in an exclusive interview on Saturday that she would not step down until last month's contested parliamentary elections are re-run.
- 'Only legitimate institution' -
Brussels has not recognised the outcome of the October elections, and demanded an investigation into serious electoral irregularities.
The European Parliament has called for a re-run and for sanctions against top Georgian officials, including Kobakhidze.
Zurabishvili on Saturday said that she was the only legitimate institution in the country, and that as long as there are no new elections... my mandate continues.
Constitutional law experts have questioned the legitimacy of the new parliament, citing the fact it approved its own credentials in violation of a requirement to await a court ruling on Zurabishvili's bid to annul the election results.
Hundreds of public servants, including from the ministries of foreign affairs, defence and education, as well as a number of judges, issued joint statements protesting Kobakhidze's decision to postpone EU accession talks.
More than 200 Georgian diplomats criticised the move as contradicting the constitution and leading the country into international isolation.
A number of Georgia's ambassadors resigned, while around 100 schools and universities suspended academic activities in protest.
The crackdown on protests has provoked international condemnation.
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania jointly agreed to impose sanctions against those who suppressed legitimate protests in Georgia, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on social media.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller on Saturday condemned excessive force used on protestors.