Georgian prosecutors open investigation into election fraud allegations
Georgia’s Prosecution Service said on Oct. 30 that it would open an investigation into mounting reports of the falsification of the parliamentary elections held on Oct. 26.
The ruling Russian-friendly Georgian Dream party declared victory with 54% of the vote, despite accusations by international observers and domestic oppositions about rigged elections.
"The Prosecution Service of Georgia has launched an investigation into the alleged falsification of the parliamentary elections," the statement read on Oct. 30.
The office summoned President Salome Zourabichvili for Oct. 31 as part of the investigation. The president refused to acknowledge the result, calling it a "Russian special operation" and urged voters to protest.
Many Georgians heeded her call and took to the streets to protest the alleged fraud.
While most exit polls indicated a victory for a pro-European coalition, the official results claimed that oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili's Georgian Dream had won with 53.9%. The four opposition groups received 37.8%.
Numerous foreign and domestic observers provided evidence of large-scale voting fraud, accusing the authorities of stealing the opposition's victory. The government, which has been run by Georgian Dream for 12 years, denied the accusations.
"The Prosecution Service of Georgia will conduct all necessary investigative and procedural actions to study the facts raised in the CEC's (Central Election Commission) statement, as well as those mentioned by the President of Georgia, certain political parties, and the representatives of election observation missions," the prosecutors' statement read.
The Election Commission said it would recount votes at a few arbitrarily selected polling stations to address the accusations.
All four parties of the pro-European opposition said they would refuse to join the new parliament due to the alleged vote rigging.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze rejected the accusations of vote rigging in an interview with BBC on Oct. 28 and added that "irregularities happen everywhere, in every country."
Oleg Sukhov
