victory of the governing party, the pro-European opposition denounces “stolen elections”

2024-10-26 01:50:00

The victory announced on Sunday 27 October of the ruling party in Georgia in the legislative elections distances the Caucasian country from membership of the European Union (EU) and brings it closer to Moscow, according to the pro-Western opposition which denounced “a constitutional coup”.

The Georgian Dream, accused by the opposition of pro-Russian authoritarian drift, obtained 54.08% of the votes, against 37.58% of the pro-European coalition, according to the count carried out in over 99% of constituencies, the president said The Central Election Commission, Giorgi Kalandarishvili, said this at a press conference.

“A constitutional coup,” denounces the opposition

“As shown” these results, “The Georgian dream has secured a solid majority” in the new parliament, the party’s executive secretary, Mamuka Mdinaradze, told reporters. But the opposition disputed this result: “We do not recognize the distorted results of the stolen elections,” Tina Bokoutchava, head of the United National Movement, one of the four parties of the opposition coalition, said this at a press conference.

Report “a usurpation of power and a constitutional coup”Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Akhali party, assured that the opposition did so “the forgery scheme deciphered” of the ballot. “The Georgian dream will not remain in power”he assured. Based on a survey carried out by the American institute Edison Research for a pro-opposition television channel, the country’s president, Salomé Zourabichvili, at odds with the Georgian Dream government, had previously announced the latter’s defeat and victory of “European Georgia”, “despite attempts to rig the vote”.

Several incidents during the vote

Monitored by international observers, the vote was characterized by several incidents, widely circulated online, such as this video of a fight at a polling station in Tbilisi, scuffles at the headquarters of the United National Movement or even an apparent stuffing of ballot boxes in Sadakhlo. , a village in the east.

Tina Bokoutchava, leader of the party of detained former president Mikhail Saakashvili, accused during the day “thugs” of the Georgian dream of “hold on to power” and of “undermining the electoral process”comments rejected by this party, led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Viktor Orban hails the ruling party’s “overwhelming” victory

The first foreign official to react, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the only EU leader remaining close to Moscow, welcomed the victory “overwhelming” of the ruling party.

Brussels had warned that Georgia’s chances of joining the EU would depend on the outcome of these elections. This former Soviet republic in the Caucasus, which has around four million inhabitants, has included this aspiration in its Constitution. After the vote, Salomé Zourabichvili warned that these elections would go badly “We determine the future of the country”.

In May, Georgia was rocked by large protests against an immigration law “foreign influence”taking inspiration from Russian legislation on the matter “foreign agents” used to crush civil society. Brussels subsequently froze Georgia’s EU accession process and the US implemented sanctions against Georgian officials.

Another reason for tension with Westerners: the recent promulgation of a law that severely limits the rights of LGBT+ people in this country of Orthodox Christian tradition where hostility towards sexual minorities remains strong.