Thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the Georgian parliament yesterday after the country's president and opposition parties called for protests, claiming that parliamentary elections held on Saturday were stolen.
The ruling Georgian Dream party declared victory in the election, which the government and election commission characterized as fair and free, while observers say there were significant violations.
The result of the vote on Saturday is a blow to pro-Western Georgians who claim that it was a choice between the ruling party that has deepened ties with Russia and the opposition that wants accelerated European integration, reports Reuters.
The Georgian Dream won almost 54 percent of the votes, the election commission announced. The four main opposition parties that won seats in the parliament said they do not recognize the results and will boycott the work of the parliament.
Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) announced that they had noted cases of vote buying, voter intimidation and the insertion of additional ballots that could have influenced the outcome, but they did not go so far as to declare the elections rigged.
President Salome Zurabishvili, a former ally of the Georgian Dream who is now their main critic, called on citizens to protest in Tbilisi from 19 pm to show the world "that we do not recognize these elections." In a speech on Sunday, Zurabishvili, whose post is largely ceremonial, described the results as a "special operation by Russia".
When asked if her statements were a direct accusation that Russia helped falsify the election, Zurabishvili told Reuters yesterday: "No, it's an accusation that it is evident that methodology and support were used in these elections, most likely of the same type used by the Russian FSB (Federal Security Services)".
She pointed out that the campaign in support of the Georgian Dream before the elections was a "direct copy" of the Kremlin's campaigns before the Russian elections.
Russia has denied meddling in the election. "We strongly reject such accusations, which, as you know, have become a standard for many countries. At the slightest detail, they immediately accuse Russia of meddling... There was no meddling and the accusations are absolutely groundless," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday.
Observers from the OSCE announced that they noted cases of vote buying, voter intimidation and the insertion of additional ballots that could have influenced the outcome, but they did not go so far as to declare the elections rigged.
Peskov said that the election results were "the choice of the Georgian people" and accused the West of trying to destabilize the situation.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobahidze also yesterday accused the opposition of trying to "shake the constitutional order", local media reported. He said that his government remains committed to European integration.
Official results showed 1,12 million voters voted for the Georgian Dream party - 335.000 more than the four main opposition parties combined, which are deeply divided among themselves.
The founder of Georgian Dream, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, praised the Georgian people for their election.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said opposition parties have an "absolute right" to challenge the election results.
NATO backed calls for a full investigation into what it called the "unjust conditions" of Georgia's election, reiterating US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's appeal to "respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms and jointly address electoral deficiencies process".
The U.S. State Department announced yesterday that the U.S. joins calls by election observers for a full investigation into all reports of election-related violations. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington does not have a final assessment of the election results, but did not rule out further consequences if the direction of the Georgian government does not change.
The European Union also called on Georgia to investigate alleged irregularities in the election, stating that "any legislation that undermines the fundamental rights and freedoms of Georgian citizens and is contrary to the values and principles on which the EU is founded must be repealed."
On the other hand, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived yesterday for a surprise visit to Georgia after congratulating the ruling party on the election victory on Saturday.
"Georgia is a conservative, Christian and pro-European country," he announced yesterday on the X network. "Instead of useless lectures, they need our support on their European journey."
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijártó, as well as the ministers of finance and economy, arrived in Georgia with Orbán. Sijarto announced on Facebook yesterday that the result of the elections in Georgia was an "ugly defeat" for the liberals.
Orbán's visit, which is likely to cause discontent among EU leaders, comes as Hungary holds the EU presidency.
Orban "does not represent the European Union" during his visit, the EU's high representative for foreign policy, Josep Borrell, told Spanish public radio yesterday. "The rotating presidency of the European Union has no authority in the field of foreign policy," Borel added.
The governments of Hungary and Georgia have grown closer in recent years, with both steering their policies towards conservative "Christian" values and calls for "peace" in Ukraine, while avoiding condemnation of Russia.
The election result in Georgia, as assessed by Reuters, represents a challenge to the EU's ambitions to expand to the former Soviet states.
This month, Moldova narrowly approved the addition of a clause to the constitution defining EU membership as a goal. Moldovan officials have said that Russia interfered in the election, which Moscow has denied.
Georgia has long been one of the most pro-Western countries to emerge from the collapse of the Soviet Union, and polls show that many Georgians hold a negative view of Russia because of its support for rogue regions of Georgia. Russia defeated Georgia in a brief war over the rebel province of South Ossetia in 2008.
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