By RIA Novosti,
Tbilisi : The Georgian opposition plans to boycott the country’s newly elected parliament, an opposition leader said on Wednesday.
“Those [opposition] lawmakers who have been elected to parliament must attend the first session…and then write a resignation letter,” Irakliy Melashvili, said.
President Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement won about 120 out of 150 seats in parliament in the May 21 parliamentary polls. The United Opposition bloc, which received just 16 seats, has alleged that the polls were rigged, and has called for the results to be annulled.
Opposition supporters had earlier pledged to gather outside parliament on June 10 to block its first session. Opposition MPs also said they had begun forming an ‘alternative parliament.’
The Georgian opposition had earlier promised to instigate a “people’s rebellion” if they suspected the elections of being rigged.
Georgia was rocked by opposition riots for six days in November 2007 as protestors occupied central Tbilisi demanding the resignation of Saakashvili. The Georgian leader responded by sending in riot police to crack down on protestors.
Under mounting pressure from the opposition, Saakashvili announced snap presidential elections in Georgia in early January and later parliamentary polls for May.