Georgia's election fallout: Protests as West demands probe
The pro-Western President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, declared on Sunday evening that she does not recognize the results of the parliamentary elections in the country. She announced a protest for Monday in the center of Tbilisi. Voices of outrage about the conduct of the elections are being heard from all over the world.
9:02 AM EDT, October 28, 2024
OSCE reports on elections in Georgia confirm numerous irregularities and instances of law violations.
"What a disgrace," commented Latvia's Foreign Minister Baiba Braze.
"I applaud the 🇬🇪 people who came out to vote en masse despite intimidation. Their wish for a European future must be respected by any Georgian government," the minister stated on the X platform.
USA reacts to the elections in Georgia
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the United States joins observers' calls for a full investigation into reports of election-related violations in Georgia, where the president has called for protests following the announcement of the contested results.
"Going forward, we encourage Georgia's political leaders to respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, and jointly address the shortcomings in the electoral process," Blinken conveyed in a statement.
"We call for an independent investigation"
The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, called on Sunday for Georgia's Central Election Commission to investigate allegations of irregularities during the parliamentary elections. The Georgian opposition and pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili have deemed Saturday's vote fraudulent.
"We call on the Central Election Commission of Georgia and other relevant bodies to fulfill their duty, quickly, transparently and independently investigate and consider election violations and allegations. These violations must be clarified and eliminated. This is a necessary step to restore confidence in the election process" Borrell's statement read.
He also noted that in recent months, Georgians have demonstrated their EU aspirations and commitment to democratic values.
Elections in Georgia rigged
Reports from international observers on irregularities in the electoral process, combined with statements by Georgia's President Salome Zurabishvili about the rigged results, "make it impossible to recognize these elections as free and fair," stated Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.
The minister emphasized that the people of Georgia have the right to vote freely, fairly, and decide their future.
By rigging elections, one cannot join the EU, but they can fall back into Russia's embrace, commented the chairman of the Estonian parliament's foreign affairs committee, Marko Mihkelson. "This is likely what the ruling party desires, against the will of the majority of society," he stated on social media.
According to Mihkelson, if Georgians allow their will to be squashed, Russia will achieve its goal, and Georgia will end up like Belarus, which would only encourage the Kremlin to commit more crimes and acts of aggression. "In the South Caucasus, this would particularly mean bad news for Armenia," the Estonian politician warned.
Polarization and pressure
According to the Central Election Commission, the ruling Georgian Dream has secured 54% of the votes, while four pro-Western opposition groups collectively obtained about 37.5%. Exit polls for opposition media indicated that the ruling party had lost the elections and the majority.
In their report, OSCE observers pointed to the campaign's polarization, local reports of pressure on voters, and their fears of retaliation.
The Latvian agency LETA writes that the current government, formed by Georgian Dream—the party of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili—has started to emulate the policies of Russia's dictator Vladimir Putin and recreate the Kremlin's anti-Western rhetoric. These elections will determine relations between Georgia, a candidate country for the EU, and Brussels.
