Georgia's prime minister steps down
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced his resignation on Thursday, as a political crisis continues in the country following October's parliamentary elections, Deutsche Welle reported.
Gakharia said in a statement that he was resigning due to disagreements within his own team over enforcing an arrest order for Nika Melia, chairman of Georgia's main political opposition, the United National Movement (UNM).
"Unfortunately I was unable to reach a consensus with my team on this issue, so I have decided to resign," Gakharia said in a statement, adding that he hopes the move will "reduce" political polarization in Georgia.
Gakharia said disagreement within his government would "pose a risk to the health and lives of our citizens and increase political polarization in the country."
Melia was ordered to be placed in in pre-trial detention Wednesday evening after a Tbilisi court refused bail for the 41-year-old who is accused of organizing "mass violence" during 2019 anti-government protests.