Ruling party unlikely to make concessions without increased Western pressure, opposition

A member of the opposition group Coalition for Change, Giorgi Butikashvili, has said he sees little indication that the ruling Georgian Dream party will make concessions in the near future unless pressure from Western partners increases.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, Butikashvili argued that Georgian Dream needs to demonstrate its democratic credentials and rebuild trust with Western countries.

He said the ruling party should halt what the opposition describes as "Russian laws", end what it calls the persecution of opposition parties and ensure that there are no political prisoners in the country.

Butikashvili also claimed that legal proceedings against opposition leaders had intensified in recent months.

"At this stage, it does not appear that Georgian Dream will make any concessions within this timeframe, unless Western pressure increases, particularly in financial terms," he said.