President Salome Zurabishvili stated that Georgia was a victim of a “Russian special operation” on Saturday. She urges citizens to attend a demonstration for democracy in the capital Tbilisi on Monday.
NOT GIVING UP: Georgia’s president Salome Zurabishvili (in the center) surrounded by opposition leaders at a press conference on Sunday, the day after the parliamentary election.
Photo: Kostya Manenkov (AP)
Tensions are rising in Georgia following the controversial election where the ruling party Georgian Dream – with strong ties to Russia – was declared the winner with 54 percent of the vote, while opposition parties claim the election was stolen. They collectively obtained 37.8 percent, according to the electoral authorities. On Sunday, the opposition coalition announced that they would relinquish their seats in parliament in protest.
Also read: Orbán and his delegation are heading to Tbilisi to congratulate
This is happening in Georgia
- The Coalition for Change announced on Sunday that they will give up their seats in parliament. “We will not legitimize the votes that were stolen from the Georgian people,” said list leader Nana Malashkia.
- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrives in Tbilisi on an official visit on Monday, according to the Georgian government. Orbán was the first to congratulate the ruling party Georgian Dream on Saturday.
Georgia’s president Salome Zurabishvili refuses to recognize the official election results. “We became victims of a Russian special operation,” Zurabishvili stated according to the website civil.ge. The president calls on people to show up to defend democracy at a demonstration on Monday at 7:00 PM.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze (Georgian Dream) dismisses allegations of electoral fraud and violence and describes the results as a “landslide victory.” – Irregularities happen everywhere, says Kobakhidze in an interview with BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg.
– I am concerned about the OSCE reports on the election in Georgia that document a number of irregularities, pressure on voters, threats, and varying rules of play. Uncertainty regarding the integrity of the electoral process undermines trust and must be addressed, says Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap) in a comment on X on Sunday evening.
VIDEO MESSAGE: Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze delivered a video message on Sunday. His party Georgian Dream has, according to the official election results, won the election.
Photo: AP
Several Days in Georgia
Around 500 election observers from 42 countries closely followed the elections for the national assembly in Georgia. Their reports conclude that the election was marred by “varying rules of play, pressure, and tensions.” Vote buying, double voting, and physical assaults and threats against voters were observed inside and outside the polling stations.
Right-wing Member of Parliament Jan Tore Sanner spent just under a week in Georgia on behalf of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and reports that he observed tense atmospheres with yelling and accusations between parties at a couple of polling stations.
In Georgia, the OSCE also collaborated with election observers from the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.
HELD PRESS CONFERENCE: Election observers from the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and the European Parliament presented their preliminary impressions at a press conference in Tbilisi on Sunday.
Photo: Irakli Gedenidze (Reuters)
– Spoke with Many Voters
– We were present for the lead-up to the election, we spoke with many representatives of civil society, and we spoke with many voters on election day. Several expressed that they experience strong Russian influence and vote buying. Many voters are uncertain and fearful, he tells Nettavisen. However, Sanner adds that the technical conduct of the election maintained a relatively good standard, as far as the election observers could see.
– On election day, we participated in the opening of a polling station. We were there for about half an hour from when the polling station opened, and then we visited eleven different polling stations. We concluded by observing the closing of a polling station and the counting of the votes, says Sanner.
The experiences he and his observer colleagues had are now being compiled into a final report from the OSCE.
Not everything went regularly during the national assembly elections in Georgia on Saturday.
– Less Space for Civil Society
– It is a crucial time for democracy in Georgia now. Many Georgians are clearly aware of this themselves. Overall, the election has been about continuing the path towards Europe and the EU or moving towards Russia. The ruling party and the prime minister have close ties to Russia, while the opposition has wanted to continue the path towards the EU. It is particularly the younger population who desires a stronger connection to Europe and the EU, while the older generation perhaps looks more towards the Soviet era.
– Prime Minister Kobakhidze will claim that they also desire an approach to the EU?
– Yes. The ruling party states that they must have a balance and maintain good and close ties both with Russia and Europe. The challenge is that the ruling party has stood for several reforms that go in an illiberal direction, where there is less room for civil society and democracy. They are also implementing stronger restrictions against the LGBTQ+ community, says Sanner.
– Withdrawn Role
The Member of Parliament reports that they observed tense atmospheres with yelling and accusations between parties at a couple of polling stations.
– We have a very withdrawn role when we are there. We observe and report back. But despite the weaknesses and irregularities pointed out by the OSCE and others, Georgia is still, after all, a democracy where voters have had genuine choices. Now many fear that it will go in a more anti-democratic direction, says Sanner.
– Belongs in Europe
He himself has these thoughts on the way forward for Georgia:
– I believe that Georgia belongs in Europe, and I hope they find their way there, with legitimate and real elections along the way.