You're reading: Wall Street Journal: Georgia will hang on to democracy, says Saakashvili in Kyiv

Georgia's outgoing president, Mikheil Saakashvili, said the recent arrests of his allies is a sign the new government is "flexing its muscles," but that pressure from Georgians would prevent the country from slipping back from democracy.

U.S. and European officials have in recent days urged the new government
of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili to avoid selective prosecutions of
the pro-Western Mr. Saakashvili’s ousted allies. More than 10 former
senior state officials, including a former interior minister, have been
arrested and charged with abuse of power since Mr. Ivanishvili’s
Georgian Dream coalition defeated Mr. Saakashvili’s United National
Movement party in an election last month. Mr. Saakashvili will share
power with Mr. Ivanishvili until presidential elections are held next
year. Mr. Saakashvili can’t stand again after serving two terms.

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