Georgia president and EU question election results

By Phoebe Martel

Georgia’s president, Salome Zourabichvili, is calling on the international community to stand behind her country as tens of thousands gather in Tblisi to protest a parliamentary election marred by alleged irregularities.

The election results saw the ruling Georgian Dream Party capturing 54% of the vote, but opposition parties and their supporters said the government used fraud schemes and intimidation tactics to undermine the vote. Election observers and non-governmental watchdogs reported incidents of ballot-stuffing and voter bribery.

Georgia Dream (GD) leader and current Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, denies such accusations, telling the BBC that “irregularities happen everywhere, in every country.”

Zourabichvili, backed by the four main opposition groups, spoke on the steps of Tbilisi’s parliamentary palace on October 28 to a crowd of demonstrators wearing European Union and Georgian flags.

“They stole your vote,” Zourabichvilli told the crowd.

The Georgian president has claimed Russian intelligence services assisted Kobakhidze’s party in committing widespread voter fraud.

The South Caucasus state’s relations with the EU have deteriorated rapidly, as GD has passed increasingly authoritative laws targeting opposition media and non-governmental organizations. At the same time, GD has grown increasingly close to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who EU officials have censured for his antidemocratic policies and pro-Russia stance. After the October 26 election, the European Union suspended Georgia’s bid to join the bloc and accused the country of “democratic backsliding.” 80% of Georgians are in favor of EU membership.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, along with NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, have called for a swift investigation into the accusations.