Georgian protest calls for government to step down

TBILISI, Georgia – Thousands of people are demonstrating in front of parliament in the country of Georgia, demanding that the government steps down and early elections be held.

Monday’s demonstration in the capital, Tbilisi, was the latest in a series of protests set off by the parliament’s failure to pass an elections-reform measure promised by the governing party.

That measure would have changed the country’s parliamentary elections so that all seats would be allocated according to the proportion of votes received by a party.

Opponents of the governing Georgian Dream party say the current system in which about half the seats are single constituencies gives the party disproportionately strong representation.

Demonstrators plan to try to block the entrances to parliament on Tuesday, when it is to hold a session.