Georgia's president declines to appear before prosecutors in election fraud investigation
Georgia’s Prosecutor's Office announced on Oct. 30 it had launched an investigation into alleged vote rigging in the recent parliamentary elections. President Salome Zourabichvili, who was summoned for questioning as part of the probe, has refused to appear at the Prosecutor's Office.
The Prosecution Service of Georgia announced on Oct. 30 it would carry out all necessary investigative and procedural steps to examine the issues highlighted by the Central Election Commission, the president, various political parties, and election observation groups.
In response to the allegations, the Election Commission said it would recount votes at several randomly selected polling stations.
During a press conference in Tbilisi, President Zourabichvili presented footage purportedly showing ballot violations. "It is not the President's responsibility to provide evidence that already exists within society," she said, adding that that non-governmental organizations, observers, and citizens have consistently provided substantial evidence, revealing extensive and systematic election rigging.
The investigation followed the opposition’s denunciation of the parliamentary elections as illegitimate. The ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory with 54% of the votes, despite protests from the pro-Western opposition, which described the election as a "constitutional coup."
President Zourabichvili also noted that her summons to the prosecutor’s office suspiciously coincided with recent remarks by Dmitry Medvedev, former President of Russia and current Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council. Medvedev had previously called for Zourabichvili’s "removal from office and arrest."
The European Union expressed concerns about "irregularities" observed during the voting process and suspended Georgia's EU accession process as of Oct. 30. U.S. President Joe Biden said he was "deeply alarmed" by democratic backsliding in the country.
Oleg Sukhov
