Two U.S. pollsters, commissioned by Georgian opposition forces, are questioning the official results of the Oct. 26 parliamentary election, which declared the ruling Georgian Dream party victorious.
In Georgia’s 2012 election, then-President Mikheil Saakashvili’s pro-Western party was defeated by Georgian Dream, a party led by the Russian-backed oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. Though widely hailed at the time as a democratic triumph, astute observers warned against celebrating. One such observer was Georgia’s former economy minister, the
During a press conference in Tbilisi, President Salome Zourabichvili presented footage purportedly showing ballot violations. "It is not the President's responsibility to provide evidence that already exists within society."
The European Commission singled out the recent legislative amendments to the election process, frequent compromises on vote secrecy, procedural inconsistencies, intimidation, and pressure on voters that negatively impacted public trust in the process.
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.
"I would like to congratulate you on the fact that... you have not allowed your country to be turned into a second Ukraine," Viktor Orban said at a press briefing with his Georgian counterpart, Irakli Kobakhidze.
Georgia has descended into political turmoil that is set to shape the country for years to come. Although exit polls indicated that the pro-European opposition coalition would win the Oct. 26 parliament elections, the official results paint a different picture. The Central Election Commission announced on the evening of Oct.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken encouraged "Georgia’s political leaders to respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, and address deficiencies in the electoral process together."
"These elections cannot be recognized. This is the same as recognizing Georgia's subordination to Russia. ... No one can take away Georgia's European future."
"During our observation, we noted the cases of vote buying and double voting before and during elections, especially in rural areas," said Ioan Bulai, the head of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, the chair of the opposition Gakharia For Georgia party, said that the announced results "do not reflect the will of the Georgian people" and called for "reasonable forms of protest" to "defend the European future and the institution of elections."
Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party captured 54.3% of the vote in the Oct. 26 parliamentary election, with over 99% of precincts counted, according to the country's central electoral commission.
The ruling Georgian Dream party, led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, and opposition groups aiming to end the party’s 12-year rule declared victory on Oct. 26.
Footage surfaced earlier on Oct. 26 of an individual stuffing the ballot box at the polling station in the southern Georgian city of Marnueli.
Nino Lomjaria, a lawyer and former ombudswoman, reported on Oct. 26 that an election observer was attacked while filming a ballot box being stuffed.
A large rally in support of Georgia's accession to the European Union was held in Tbilisi's Freedom Square on Oct. 20, ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election scheduled for Oct. 26.
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a presidential decree on Oct. 10 expanding visa-free entry for Georgian citizens who are working or studying in Russia, as Moscow continues to cozy relations with Tbilisi amid concerns over the country's democratic backsliding.
Two years ago, a Georgian pro-Kremlin fringe channel aired a fabricated story featuring photoshopped images of several NGO representatives, including myself, in handcuffs at a fictional trial. This scenario, supposedly the result of a meeting between then-Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Russian President Vladimir Putin, was laughable at the
Last October, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine would strike Russia's Black Sea Fleet wherever it will be stationed — implying that could also include occupied parts of Georgia, where Russia has kept a garrison and is rumored to be constructing a naval base. "We will reach them everywhere," the president
"All options are on the table" if Georgia does not reverse its trend toward authoritarianism, "including the potential temporary suspension of the visa liberalization scheme," a spokesperson for the European Commission told Politico.
The bills would ban gender transition, adoption by same-sex couples, and forbid gatherings or the distribution of information "aimed at promoting" LGBTQ relationships.
"Today's action underscores our concern about the consequences of anti-democratic actions in Georgia and efforts by key individuals to use violence and intimidation to achieve their aims," said Treasury official Bradley Smith.
Kobakhidze called the creation of the state fund a "step towards" NGOs and media, which allegedly risk losing funding from international donors if the law is followed.
In an appeal posted on Facebook, Georgian Dream emphasized that it needs to obtain a "constitutional majority in order to qualitatively improve the political system, which cannot be achieved without removing the collective 'United National Movement' from politics."
Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, declined to meet with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Congressman Mike Turner during their visit to Georgia.
When Bidzina Ivanishvili entered politics in 2011 and created the Georgian Dream party, he promised to give up his Russian passport and divest from business interests in the country.
The European Commision's spokesperson, Peter Stano, reiterated the EU's concerns over the law, calling it "a step backward" on the country's path to European integration.
Failure to register as a foreign agent by Sept. 1, when the official monitoring period begins, could result in fines of 25,000 Georgian lari ($9,200).
The lawsuit was signed by 32 opposition lawmakers on July 22.
Georgia's State Security Service (SUS) "is investigating the facts of the preparation of the murder of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream party, organized and financed by former high-ranking officials of the Georgian government and former employees of law enforcement agencies in Ukraine," the SUS wrote on Facebook.
The opposition media outlet Mtavari reported on July 21 that at least four Georgians who fought in Ukraine have been sought for interrogation by Georgia's State Security Service (SUS).
The impact of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's potential reelection will also cause "our region (to) calm down sooner, which will change the attitude towards Georgia as well," Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze claimed
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