Georgian president won't recognize parliamentary election result and calls public protests
EMMA BURROWS
Updated Sun, October 27, 2024
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s president said Sunday she did not recognize the results of this weekend’s parliamentary vote, which election officials say was won by the ruling party, adding that the country fell victim to a “Russian special operation” aimed at moving it off a path toward Europe.
Standing alongside opposition leaders, President Salome Zourabichvili urged Georgians to rally Monday night on Tbilisi’s main street to protest what she called a “total falsification, a total stealing of your votes,” raising the prospect of further political turmoil in the South Caucasus nation.
She spoke the day after an election which could decide whether Georgia embraces Europe or falls under the sway of Russia.
“This election cannot be recognized, because it is the recognition of Russia’s intrusion here, Georgia’s subordination to Russia,” Zourabichvili said.
The Central Election Commission said Sunday that the ruling party, Georgian Dream, got 54.8% of Saturday’s vote with almost 100% of ballots counted.
Georgian Dream has become increasingly authoritarian over the past year, adopting laws similar to those used by Russia to crack down on freedom of speech. Brussels suspended Georgia’s EU membership process indefinitely because of a Russian-style “foreign influence law,” passed in June. Many Georgians viewed Saturday’s vote as a referendum on the opportunity to join the European Union.
The election campaign in the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million people, which borders Russia, was dominated by foreign policy and marked by a bitter fight for votes and allegations of a smear campaign.
Zourabichvili suggested “Russian elections” were held in the country, and said “technology was used to whitewash counterfeiting. Such a thing has never happened before.”
European electoral observers said the election took place in a “divisive” environment marked by intimidation and instances of vote buying, double voting and physical violence.
During the campaign, Georgian Dream used “anti-Western and hostile rhetoric ... promoted Russian misinformation, manipulations, and conspiracy theories,” said Antonio López-Istúriz White, the head of the European Parliament monitoring delegation.
“Paradoxically, the government further claimed that it was continuing Georgia’s European integration,” he added.
The conduct of the polls, he said, is more evidence that points to the ruling party’s “democratic backsliding.”
President of the European Council Charles Michel said he called on Georgia’s officials to “swiftly, transparently and independently investigate” the electoral irregularities and called on the ruling party to demonstrate its “firm commitment” to the EU.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who is a member of Georgian Dream, on Sunday described his party's victory as “impressive and obvious,” and said “any attempts to talk about election manipulation ... are doomed to failure.”
Hungary’s Victor Orbán was the first foreign leader to congratulate Georgian Dream and will be the first foreign leader to visit Georgia and meet the prime minister when he visits the capital for a visit Monday and Tuesday.
Georgian electoral observers, who were stationed across the country, also reported multiple violations and said the results do not reflect “the will of the Georgian people.”
In the capital Tbilisi, Tiko Gelashvili, 32, said, “The results that were published are just lies and rigged.”
Initial figures suggested turnout in the vote was the highest since Georgian Dream was first elected in 2012.
The United National Movement opposition party said its headquarters were attacked on Saturday while Georgian media reported two people were hospitalized after being attacked outside polling stations.
“The most important question is whether or not these elections will be recognized by the international community,” said Natia Seskuria, executive director of the Regional Institute for Security Studies in Tbilisi. Georgia’s “economic and political prospects” hinge on the election, she said.
Georgians have a complex relationship with Russia, which ruled it from Moscow until Georgia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Russia and Georgia fought a short war in 2008, and Moscow still occupies 20% of Georgia’s territory.
Despite that, Georgian Dream has adopted Russia-style laws and many Georgians fear the government is distancing the country from the West and into Moscow’s orbit.
The election observers said instances of intimidation and electoral violations were particularly noticeable in rural areas.
Georgian Dream scored its highest share of the vote — polling almost 90% — in the Javakheti region of southern Georgia, 135 kilometers (83 miles) west of the capital. In Tbilisi, it got no more than than 44% of the vote in any district.
Javakheti is predominantly agricultural and many people are ethnic Armenians who speak Armenian, Russian and limited Georgian. Before the election, the AP traveled to the region where voters suggested they were instructed how to vote by local officials. Several questioned why Georgia needed a relationship with Europe and suggested it would be better off allied with Moscow.
—
Associated Press journalists Sophiko Megrelidze, in Tbilisi, and Raf Casert, in Brussels, contributed to this report
EMMA BURROWS
Updated Sun, October 27, 2024
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s president said Sunday she did not recognize the results of this weekend’s parliamentary vote, which election officials say was won by the ruling party, adding that the country fell victim to a “Russian special operation” aimed at moving it off a path toward Europe.
Standing alongside opposition leaders, President Salome Zourabichvili urged Georgians to rally Monday night on Tbilisi’s main street to protest what she called a “total falsification, a total stealing of your votes,” raising the prospect of further political turmoil in the South Caucasus nation.
She spoke the day after an election which could decide whether Georgia embraces Europe or falls under the sway of Russia.
“This election cannot be recognized, because it is the recognition of Russia’s intrusion here, Georgia’s subordination to Russia,” Zourabichvili said.
The Central Election Commission said Sunday that the ruling party, Georgian Dream, got 54.8% of Saturday’s vote with almost 100% of ballots counted.
Georgian Dream has become increasingly authoritarian over the past year, adopting laws similar to those used by Russia to crack down on freedom of speech. Brussels suspended Georgia’s EU membership process indefinitely because of a Russian-style “foreign influence law,” passed in June. Many Georgians viewed Saturday’s vote as a referendum on the opportunity to join the European Union.
The election campaign in the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million people, which borders Russia, was dominated by foreign policy and marked by a bitter fight for votes and allegations of a smear campaign.
Zourabichvili suggested “Russian elections” were held in the country, and said “technology was used to whitewash counterfeiting. Such a thing has never happened before.”
European electoral observers said the election took place in a “divisive” environment marked by intimidation and instances of vote buying, double voting and physical violence.
During the campaign, Georgian Dream used “anti-Western and hostile rhetoric ... promoted Russian misinformation, manipulations, and conspiracy theories,” said Antonio López-Istúriz White, the head of the European Parliament monitoring delegation.
“Paradoxically, the government further claimed that it was continuing Georgia’s European integration,” he added.
The conduct of the polls, he said, is more evidence that points to the ruling party’s “democratic backsliding.”
President of the European Council Charles Michel said he called on Georgia’s officials to “swiftly, transparently and independently investigate” the electoral irregularities and called on the ruling party to demonstrate its “firm commitment” to the EU.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who is a member of Georgian Dream, on Sunday described his party's victory as “impressive and obvious,” and said “any attempts to talk about election manipulation ... are doomed to failure.”
Hungary’s Victor Orbán was the first foreign leader to congratulate Georgian Dream and will be the first foreign leader to visit Georgia and meet the prime minister when he visits the capital for a visit Monday and Tuesday.
Georgian electoral observers, who were stationed across the country, also reported multiple violations and said the results do not reflect “the will of the Georgian people.”
In the capital Tbilisi, Tiko Gelashvili, 32, said, “The results that were published are just lies and rigged.”
Initial figures suggested turnout in the vote was the highest since Georgian Dream was first elected in 2012.
The United National Movement opposition party said its headquarters were attacked on Saturday while Georgian media reported two people were hospitalized after being attacked outside polling stations.
“The most important question is whether or not these elections will be recognized by the international community,” said Natia Seskuria, executive director of the Regional Institute for Security Studies in Tbilisi. Georgia’s “economic and political prospects” hinge on the election, she said.
Georgians have a complex relationship with Russia, which ruled it from Moscow until Georgia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Russia and Georgia fought a short war in 2008, and Moscow still occupies 20% of Georgia’s territory.
Despite that, Georgian Dream has adopted Russia-style laws and many Georgians fear the government is distancing the country from the West and into Moscow’s orbit.
The election observers said instances of intimidation and electoral violations were particularly noticeable in rural areas.
Georgian Dream scored its highest share of the vote — polling almost 90% — in the Javakheti region of southern Georgia, 135 kilometers (83 miles) west of the capital. In Tbilisi, it got no more than than 44% of the vote in any district.
Javakheti is predominantly agricultural and many people are ethnic Armenians who speak Armenian, Russian and limited Georgian. Before the election, the AP traveled to the region where voters suggested they were instructed how to vote by local officials. Several questioned why Georgia needed a relationship with Europe and suggested it would be better off allied with Moscow.
—
Associated Press journalists Sophiko Megrelidze, in Tbilisi, and Raf Casert, in Brussels, contributed to this report
Pjotr Sauer
Sun 27 October 2024
Salome Zourabichvili called on Georgians to protest against the parliamentary victory of the ruling, Russia-aligned Georgian Dream party.Photograph: Kostya Manenkov/AP
Georgia’s pro-western opposition has called on the country to protest on Monday against the disputed parliamentary victory of the ruling, Russia-aligned Georgian Dream (GD) party.
GD retained power in Saturday’s pivotal election that dealt a significant blow to the country’s long-held aspirations for EU membership, amid allegations of voter intimidation and coercion.
The opposition refused to concede defeat and accused the ruling party of a “constitutional coup”, setting the stage for a potential political crisis that could further polarise the Caucasus country.
At a press conference organised by the opposition on Sunday evening, Georgia’s pro-EU president, Salome Zourabichvili, declared that she did not recognise the election results and asserted that the country had fallen victim to a “Russian special operation”.
Zourabichvili, whose role is largely ceremonial, called on Georgians to protest against the results on Monday evening. “This was a total rigging, a total robbery of your votes,” she said.
The electoral commission announced on Sunday that GD secured 54% of the vote, winning 89 seats in the parliament – one fewer than in 2020. Four pro-western opposition parties collectively won a total of 61 seats.
The result thwarts the opposition’s hopes for a pro-western coalition of four blocs and in effect stalls the country’s aspirations for EU integration.
Voters in the country of almost 4 million people had headed to the polls on Saturday in a watershed election to decide whether the increasingly authoritarian GD, which has been in power since 2012 and steered the country into a conservative course away from the west and closer to Russia, should get another four-year term.
Bidzina Ivanishvili, the shadowy billionaire founder of GD, claimed victory shortly after polls closed in what has been called the most consequential election since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
“It is a rare case in the world that the same party achieves such success in such a difficult situation – this is a good indicator of the talent of the Georgian people,” said Ivanishvili, widely considered to be the country’s most powerful figure.
For the past three decades, Georgia has maintained strong pro-western aspirations, with polls showing up to 80% of its people favour joining the EU. In recent years, however, the government has increasingly shifted away from the west in favour of Russia, showing reluctance to condemn Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
An international observer mission on Sunday said the conduct of the election was evidence of “democratic backsliding” in the country.
A preliminary report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said it “noted reports of intimidation, coercion and pressure on voters, particularly on public sector employees and other groups, raising concerns about the ability of some voters to cast their vote without fear of retribution”.
However, it stopped short of saying the elections had been stolen or falsified – a claim the opposition reiterated on Sunday.
On Saturday morning, several videos circulated online appearing to show ballot stuffing and voter intimidation at various polling stations across Georgia.
Electoral commission data showed GD winning by suspiciously big margins of up to 90% in some rural areas, though it underperformed in bigger cities.
Western officials have expressed concern over reports of election fraud, though they too have used cautious language and refrained from calling for a boycott of the results. The European Council president, Charles Michel, on Sunday pushed for a swift and transparent investigation into alleged irregularities during the election.
It remains unclear if the opposition will be able to galvanise enough support in the coming days. Last spring, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tbilisi to protest a controversial “foreign agents” bill that critics argued was designed to stifle the country’s media and NGOs. Those protests gradually faded after a police crackdown and a series of arrests.
The election result suggests GD retains support from a core group of Georgian voters, particularly in industrial heartlands and conservative, poorer regions where economic progress has been slow and the appeal of Europe feels distant and faint.Interactive
GD received congratulations from several foreign leaders including Hungary’s hard-right prime minister, Viktor Orbán, a longtime ally of Ivanishvili, who is scheduled to visit Tbilisi on Tuesday.
GD has been accused by critics at home and abroad of plans to move the country in an authoritarian direction after Ivanishvili vowed to ban all the leading opposition parties and remove opposition lawmakers if his party was re-elected.
The party was facing an unprecedented union of four pro-western opposition forces that had vowed to form a coalition government to oust it from power and put Georgia back on track to join the EU.
The biggest opposition force is the centre-right UNM, a party founded by Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president who is in prison on charges of abuse of power that his allies say are politically motivated. From jail, Saakashvili called on Georgians to take the streets.
In the aftermath of the elections, voters in Tbilisi seemed divided over the country’s future course. Ana Machaidze, a 25-year-old student, said: “We have lost our country today. I don’t know what to do next. I hope we can take to the streets, but if we lose, maybe I will live abroad.”
Support for the pro-western opposition groups generally came from urban and younger voters, who envision their political future with the EU.
Irakli Shengelia, 56, a restaurant worker, said he was glad GD would remain in power because the party guaranteed “peace and stability” with Russia.
The government, aligned with the deeply conservative and influential Orthodox church, has sought to galvanise anti-liberal sentiments by campaigning on “family values” and criticising what it portrays as western excesses.
In the summer, the parliament passed legislation imposing sweeping restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights – a move that critics say mirrored laws enacted in neighbouring Russia, where authorities have implemented a series of repressive measures against sexual minorities.
In Russia, the election results were widely welcomed. As the results trickled in, state propaganda celebrated the outcome, with Margarita Simonyan, the influential editor-in-chief of the state media outlet RT, declaring that “the Georgians had won”.
In this photo taken from video, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, center, surrounded by opposition leaders speaks to the media after the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Kostya Manenkov)ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE - Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of the created by him the Georgian Dream party greets demonstrators during a rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, on April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov, File)ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE - Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of the created by him the Georgian Dream party gestures greeting demonstrators during a rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, on April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov, File)ASSOCIATED PRESS
From left, Nika Melia, Nika Gvaramia, leaders of Coalition for Changes, and Nana Malashkhia, who leads the Coalition for Change parliament list, react while talking to journalists at coalition's headquarters after polls closing at the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Elene Khoshtaria, chair of United National Movement, center, speaks to the media, accompanied by Zurab Japaridze, chairman of the Girchi More Freedom party, left; Nika Melia, a leader of Coalition for Changes, second left; Nika Gvaramia, leader of Coalition for Changes, second right, and Nana Malashkhia, who leads the Coalition for Change parliament list, right, at the coalition's headquarters after the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, early Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Elene Khoshtaria, chair of United National Movement, speaks to the media at the coalition's headquarters after the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, early Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Members of an election commission count ballots at a polling station after the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Kostya Manenkov)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Members of an election commission count ballots at a polling station after the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Kostya Manenkov)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nika Gvaramia, leader of Coalition for Changes, left, speaks to the media as and Nana Malashkhia, who leads the Coalition for Change parliament list, right, stands near, at coalition's headquarters after the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili attends an opposition rally ahead upcoming next week parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)ASSOCIATED PRESS
In this photo taken from video released by Georgian Dream Party on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze addresses after the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia. (Georgian Dream Party via AP)ASSOCIATED PRESS
In this photo released by Georgian Presidential Press Office, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, center, speaks to the media after voting at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (Georgian Presidential Press Office via AP)
Georgia Election
In this photo taken from video, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, left, speaks to the media as speaks to the media as and Nana Malashkhia, who leads the Coalition for Change parliament list, right, stands near, after the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Kostya Manenkov)ASSOCIATED PRESSMore
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Key Takeaways
Georgia's president rejects parliamentary election results, accusing ruling party of Russian interference and vote manipulation.
European observers report instances of intimidation, vote buying, and violence during Georgia's election, raising concerns about democratic backsliding.
Georgian Dream party wins election with 54.8% of the vote, prompting allegations of fraud and further political turmoil in the country.
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