*** Georgia PM says ‘won battle’ with pro-EU protesters as crisis deepens | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Georgia PM says ‘won battle’ with pro-EU protesters as crisis deepens

AFP | Tbilisi

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Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze yesterday claimed victory in a “battle” against the pro-Western opposition, even as a crisis fuelled by his suspension of EU talks showed no signs of easing.

Tbilisi has been engulfed in turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party -- accused by critics of creeping authoritarianism and steering the country back towards Russia -- declared that it had won a disputed October 26 election. Tens of thousands have taken to the streets to protest against alleged electoral fraud and Kobakhidze’s shock announcement last week that Georgia would not seek European Union membership talks until 2028