The Girchi Party is in favour of lifting emergency measures and restrictions on economic activity and considers the measures taken by the Georgian government to prevent the coronavirus epidemic to be excessive. The leader of the Girchi party Zurab Japaridze single-handedly held a protest.
Dzhaparidze came to the residence of President Salome Zurabishvili on Atoneli street with a poster on which, with grammatical mistakes in French, is written the famous phrase from Ilf and Petrov’s novel “Twelve Chairs” “Je n’ai mangé pas six jours” (“I haven’t eaten six days” ). Japaridze explained that the misspelling should emphasize that Salome Zurabishvili often speaks Georgian with mistakes.
“I deliberately sat down to beg in front of the presidential residence. The decree signed by this woman, who came to Georgia to rest, dooms people to hunger. Someone should tell her that she is responsible for this,” Japaridze said.
The politician explained that he wants to convey to the president the voice of those people who have lost their jobs and are locked in their homes. According to the rules, it is the president who signs the decree on the introduction of a state of emergency, after which it is approved by parliament. In Georgia, the state of emergency was introduced on March 21 for a month, but recently, by presidential decree, it has been extended until May 22.
Japaridze also addressed those who receive salaries from the state budget with an appeal not to forget that most of the population of Georgia is already starving.
“Many are now sitting at home and starving, but they cannot step over their vanity and go out with outstretched hands. Therefore, I became their voice,” emphasizes Dzhaparidze.
The opposition party «Girchi» appealed to the Constitutional Court against the declaration made by the government of Georgia of a state of emergency. The authorities explained this decision as a desire to stop the spread of coronavirus. But the libertarian party believes that the measures taken are contrary to the Constitution. On April 13, Girchi filed a lawsuit in court.
The party considered new restrictions as violations of the country’s main law — a ban on meetings of more than three people, a ban on driving in one car and taking passengers next to the driver, restrictions on movement during quarantine in Marneuli and Bolnisi municipalities and a ban on movement at night.
The lawyer of the Girchi party Levan Dzhegerenaia insists: the measures taken are not only unconstitutional but also unreasonable. Some prohibitions violate the right to freedom of movement and the right to free development guaranteed by the Constitution. The political movement believes that these restrictions have nothing to do with the plan to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This is a show before the parliamentary elections, they are confident in Girchi.
“The measures taken by the government are unreasonable and devoid of common sense. For example, members of the same family, living together under the same roof, having dinner together, are forbidden to gather and even move together in public places,” said Dzhegerenaia.
According to the lawyer and Girchi member, the introduction of a state of emergency does not mean that the government is allowed to go beyond the constitutional framework and violate human rights. “Any restriction of the government should be proportionate to the legitimate goal for which it is introduced,” he added.