Tens of thousands of Georgians protested against the ruling party’s victory in parliamentary polls that were alleged to be rigged. President Salome Zurabishvili claimed that the election was manipulated using sophisticated methods linked to Russia. The ruling Georgian Dream party won 53.92% of the vote compared to the 37.78% gained by pro-Western opposition alliances. The opposition accused Georgian Dream of steering the country away from the EU and towards Russia’s influence. Demonstrators gathered in Tbilisi waving Georgian and EU flags and demanding fresh legislative elections.
President Salome Zurabishvili addressed the rally, declaring that the future had been stolen but vowed to stand with the people on the path towards Europe. Opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze announced that opposition parties would not enter the new parliament, calling for fresh elections supervised by an international election administration. Demonstrators expressed determination to fight for the truth and the cancellation of the fraudulent election results. Zurabishvili claimed that the election saw sophisticated fraudulent schemes being used, and she accused Russia of interfering in the vote. Leading election monitors highlighted evidence of large-scale fraud favoring the ruling party.
There was widespread international criticism of the election, with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemning the misuse of resources, vote buying, and voter intimidation. The EU parliament mission observed instances of ballot box stuffing and physical assaults on observers, highlighting democratic backsliding in Tbilisi. German and French officials expressed concerns over the irregularities in the elections. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close associate of the Kremlin, visited Tbilisi and expressed support for the Georgian government, emphasizing the country’s conservative, Christian, and pro-Europe stance.
The Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze reaffirmed his party’s commitment to EU membership as a main priority and hoped for a reset with Brussels. Georgian Dream secured 89 seats in the 150-member parliament, enough to govern but short of the supermajority needed to pass a constitutional ban on opposition parties. Georgia was previously rocked by protests against a law on “foreign influence” that critics likened to Russian legislation aimed at silencing dissent. The United States imposed sanctions on Georgian officials, and the EU froze Tbilisi’s accession process in response to the protests.
Despite the international criticism and allegations of electoral fraud, Georgian Dream remained in power, prompting ongoing protests and demands for fresh elections by the opposition. The situation in Georgia remains volatile, with tensions between the ruling party and pro-Western forces. The country’s geopolitical alignment, particularly in relation to Russia and the EU, continues to be a point of contention. The accusations of Russian interference in the election have deepened divisions and suspicions within Georgian society. The protests and political uncertainty in Georgia underscore the challenges of democratic governance and the influence of external actors in shaping the country’s future.
