Georgian PM warns opposition forces rejecting election outcome against 'revolutionary scenarios'
TBILISI. Nov 30 (Interfax) - The Georgian authorities will not allow the opposition forces that disagrees with the outcome of the recent presidential election to destabilize the situation, Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said.
"Any attempts to call into question the results of the recent presidential elections are doomed to failure. Of course, everyone has the right to freedom of expression, but if anyone tries to destabilize the situation, they will be held to account in accordance with the law," Bakhtadze said at a press briefing on Friday.
The authorities will not allow any "revolutionary scenarios," he said.
"The state will defend the security of each citizen. The election has ended, and we need to return to the normal pace of life, because there's a great deal of work ahead," he said.
Georgia's opposition forces, led by the United National Movement, the former ruling party headed by ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, have refused to recognize their candidate Grigol Vashadze's defeat. They say there was vote-rigging and called on their supporters to protest in the center of Tbilisi on Sunday, demanding early parliamentary elections.
Independent candidate Salome Zourabichvili, backed by the ruling party Georgian Dream, won the second round of the election on Wednesday.
Vashadze refused to recognize the outcome.
Under the Georgian Constitution, the president-elect should be sworn into office on December 16.