Day: November 25, 2024

New Georgian Parliament convenes

On November 25, Georgia’s 11th Parliament convened its first session against the backdrop of a mass protest. Demonstrators allege that the October 26 election was rigged, declaring the parliament illegitimate and self-proclaimed.

The inaugural session was attended solely by MPs from the ruling Georgian Dream party. According to official results from the Central Election Commission, the party received nearly 54% of the vote, securing 89 out of 150 seats. Four opposition parties that made it into parliament have refused to participate, demanding repeat elections.

MPs from the ruling Georgian Dream party entered and exited the parliament building under the escort of special forces.

From early morning, the parliamentary and government district was heavily protected by law enforcement and specialized equipment.

Protesters occupied area outside parliament

Many carried signs with messages such as “You are Russians,” “Slaves,” and “You stole our votes and our future.”

Hundreds of protesters spent the night outside the parliament, while thousands more joined the demonstration starting at 9 a.m.

Georgia’s parliament convenes for first session amid mass protests, opposition boycott

Georgia’s ruling party has announced the new government lineup. Kobakhidze remains Prime Minister, with only three ministerial changes in the cabinet.

Heartfelt tributes and applause for oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili 

The session of parliament was opened by its eldest member, Lado Kakhadze.

Also in attendance was the honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. MPs from the ruling party showed a notably reverent attitude toward him, expressing their gratitude one after another and showering him in standing ovations.

A video of MP Lado Kakhadze emotionally pressing Bidzina Ivanishvili’s hand to his cheek has gone viral on social media.

The same footage shows the head of the Central Election Commission, Giorgi Kalandarishvili, cheerfully greeting the billionaire.

Under the Constitution, it is the President of Georgia’s duty to convene and open the first session of the new parliament. However, Salome Zourabichvili refused to do so and was absent from the session.

Immediately after the October 26 elections, she declared the results illegitimate and falsified, describing the entire process as a “Russian special operation.”

On the day of the first session, she posted on X social media platform: “Black Monday in Georgia: Police & spetsnats guarding the doors behind which « GD slaves » are killing our Constitution and making a mockery of our Parliament.”

EU Parliament draft resolution calls for sanctions on top Georgian officials

The draft resolution claims the October 26 elections failed to meet EU candidate standards. It will be discussed from November 26-28

This was the first time in Georgia’s history since gaining independence.

Speaker Shalva Papuashvili explained the decision as follows:

“This is an important day for the citizens of Georgia and their elected parliament. The government, constitutional bodies, and representatives of the Church will be present in parliament. This is our national day.

As for the participation or absence of foreign representatives, we have unfortunate experience of how foreign involvement has become a tool in Georgian politics. Therefore, we believe it is better for all if they are not present at the first session.”

Although foreign ambassadors were absent from the hall, the speaker dedicated much of his speech to foreign influence.

He spoke of the “intervention of foreign states in Georgia” and described the opposition and civil society as “carriers of foreign interests, whose homeland lies elsewhere.”

“Since Georgian Dream firmly holds power, no party controlled by external forces will be able to influence the country,” Papuashvili declared during his speech in parliament.

“Ivanishvili is bargaining with the West at the cost of Georgia’s future” – interview with the former financier of the Georgian oligarch

“I helped him in 2012 because I believed it was time to change the government in Georgia (Saaakashvili and his team). Now, once again, it is time for a change in power”

“Long live, the Communist Party!”

The parliament’s session hall was under a “yellow level” security status — only specially invited guests and accredited journalists from television companies were allowed entry. Representatives from online media, including those accredited to work in parliament, were denied access.

“The saddest part is that all of this evokes the scenario and aesthetics of a not-so-distant past, when only one party – the ‘Communist Party’ – was represented in this very hall for many years. The slogans are strikingly similar: ‘Congratulations, comrades!’ ‘Long live the Communist Party!’” writes Natia Inauri, a journalist for Interpress News, on her Facebook page. Inauri has been an accredited correspondent in parliament for many years.

Shalva Papuashvili was re-elected as Speaker of Parliament.

His deputies are Giorgi Volski, Tea Tsulukiani, and Nino Tsilosani.

Mamuka Mdinaradze became the head of the Georgian Dream parliamentary faction.

It was announced that, as planned, the honorary chairman of the ruling party, Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, political secretary Irakli Kobakhidze (the Prime Minister), and party chairman Irakli Garibashvili (former Prime Minister) would relinquish their mandates.

The 11th Parliament confirmed the legitimacy of all 150 deputies, despite a constitutional lawsuit filed by the president calling for the annulment of the election results.

The legitimacy of the 11th convocation of the Parliament is facing serious doubts for the following reasons:

1. The President of Georgia has filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court, claiming that two constitutional rights were violated during the elections: the secrecy of the vote and the freedom of elections. In her lawsuit, Salome Zourabichvili demands a review of the mandates of all 150 deputies.
2. Thirty opposition deputies have also appealed to the Constitutional Court, requesting that the October 26 elections be declared unconstitutional.

According to Article 86 of the Georgian Parliament’s rules of procedure, a deputy cannot be granted a mandate if there is a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court challenging their legitimacy. The parliament is required to postpone its first session and await the court’s decision.

According to constitutional experts, the November 25 session of the Georgian Parliament and the decisions made during it are illegal.

Constitutionalist Vakhtang Menabde states, “We can confidently say that the parliament’s recognition of its own authority is unlawful,” and outlines the following reasons:

1. The Constitutional Court is currently reviewing a case challenging the legitimacy of the mandates of all 150 deputies.
2. In such circumstances, the parliament is obligated to wait for the court’s decision.
3. Any decision made by the parliament before the court’s ruling is illegal, including declarations of authority, laws, the budget, and government approvals.

Social media users urge opposition to develop a concrete plan

Opposition leaders joined the protesters throughout November 25. However, they have yet to offer a concrete plan of action, drawing significant criticism on social media.

New Georgian Parliament convenes

Direções para Rua 2, a partir dos locais mais visitados em Presidente Kennedy, usando o transporte público. As linhas abaixo têm rotas que passam perto de Rua 2

In the South Korean Court of Appeal, prosecutors are seeking punishment for Samsung Electronics President Lee Jae-yong on charges of stock manipulation and fraud related to the merger of subsidiaries, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijan is a crucial economic partner for Latvia, as evidenced by the significant increase in trade turnover between the two countries over the past two years, Latvian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Edgars Skuja said during an event commemorating the 106th a

The German authorities plan to increase the number of bomb shelters for the civilian population by restoring public and private buildings, Azernews reports.

Former Arsenal star Nicklas Bendtner was caught up in a horrific stabbing attack last week while visiting New York with friends, Report informs via The Mirror.

COP29 ends in Azerbaijan

The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) has concluded, with the good news that an agreement was reached.

In Baku, transport schedules and daily routines disrupted by the international event are returning to normal. As of today, COP29-designated lanes are being removed from city roads, students have returned to in-person classes after remote learning, and autumn holidays in public schools have officially ended.

Most of the event’s international guests have already left Azerbaijan.

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• 16-day campaign against gender-based violence kicks off in Yerevan
• Georgia’s parliament convenes for first session amid mass protests, opposition boycott
• Tensions between Israel and Turkey spill over to Azerbaijan again

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As part of the agreement reached at COP29, wealthy nations will allocate $300 billion annually to poorer countries over the next decade to combat climate change. This represents the largest amount ever pledged in the fight against climate change.

The negotiations were challenging—the event concluded 33 hours later than scheduled, marked by tensions and moments of disappointment.

Simon Stiell, head of the UN climate agency, stated: “It was a difficult journey, but we reached an agreement.”

Other unresolved issues will be discussed at COP30 in Brazil next year.

COP29 nears conclusion, but financial target remains unresolved

Climate conference in Baku may be extended by one or two days, depending on progress of negotiations, their effectiveness, and likelihood of reaching agreements.

“The talks were pulled back from the brink of failure. While $300 billion falls far short of the $1.3 trillion requested by poorer countries, it surpasses any funding secured so far at COP and represents a record-breaking sum,” reports the BBC’s Azerbaijan bureau.

The outlet highlights that just hours before the agreement was reached, optimism was low—countries most affected by climate change had walked out of the negotiations in protest. Some even declared that “no agreement would be better than this one.” However, several island nations that had initially left the talks later returned.

Record COP sum, though far below expectations

On November 23, a final proposal of $300 billion was presented at the negotiations.

Prior to this, the talks were on the brink of failure, with several poorer nations walking out.

An earlier draft agreement had proposed $250 billion annually for poorer countries to combat climate change. However, this figure was later increased by $50 billion.

On the same day, representatives from the least developed countries left a meeting with the COP29 president, insisting that the amount should be no less than $500 billion.

“We are in a dangerous situation,” said one participant.

COP29: What to know about climate summit in Azerbaijan

Central goal of COP29 is an agreement on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate financing

Representatives of small island nations told the BBC that they were excluded from discussions during the drafting of the agreement text and had been sidelined.

Notably, due to delays in finalizing the text, the duration of COP29 was extended by an additional day, running through Saturday.

Under Azerbaijan’s presidency, COP29 successfully adopted another key agreement on carbon markets.

For instance, one country emits greenhouse gases, while another, with abundant forests, absorbs carbon dioxide. According to the agreement, the country emitting gases will compensate the country with forests.

This issue had remained unresolved for nine years since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

COP29 in Baku brings road closures and transport disruption

The COP29 climate conference in Baku prompts road restrictions and public transport changes, impacting residents’ commutes

Global reactions to COP29 agreement

U.S. President Joe Biden praised the agreement reached at COP29 in Baku as a “historic outcome” and congratulated Azerbaijan’s presidency and the participating parties.

“[…] It will help mobilize the level of finance – from all sources – that developing countries need to accelerate the transition to clean, sustainable economies, while opening up new markets for American-made electric vehicles, batteries, and other products.” Biden stated.

UK Minister Ed Miliband called the deal “a step forward,” though not “everything” they and others had hoped for.

He emphasized that the agreement does not require the UK to increase its climate funding but offers a “significant opportunity for British businesses to invest in emerging markets.”

EU representative Wopke Hoekstra, who had previously criticized the initial draft agreement, described COP29 as an event that will “be remembered as the beginning of a new era in climate financing.”

He characterized the agreement as “ambitious, with a realistic target and an expanding base of contributors.”

Developing nations, particularly those most vulnerable to climate change, voiced disappointment that the funding fell well short of their demands.

“I am not exaggerating when I say our islands are sinking,” said Cedric Schuster, head of the Alliance of Small Island States and Samoa’s Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.

Nigerian representative Nkiruka Madueke described the agreement as “insulting.”

COP29 ends in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan harvested 31.100 tons of sunflower during January-October of 2024, which is 6.3% year-on-year, Report informs, citing the country’s Agriculture Ministry.

The tightening of U.S. economic pressure on China threatens the interests of Japanese semiconductor equipment manufacturers, Azernews reports.