Georgia's election results spark international condemnation
On Sunday evening, Georgia's pro-Western president, Salome Zurabishvili, declared that she does not recognize the results of the country's parliamentary elections. She announced a protest for Monday in the centre of Tbilisi. Voices of outrage about the conduct of the elections are coming from all over the world.
OSCE reports on Georgia's elections 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. Any Georgian government must respect their wish for a European future," the minister stated on the X platform.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the United States joined 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 their contested results.
"Going forward, we encourage Georgia's political leaders to respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, and address deficiencies in the electoral process together," 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 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
International observers' reports on irregularities in the electoral process and Georgia's President Salome Zurabishvili's statement about the rigged results: "As the only remaining independent institution in this state, I want to say that I do not recognize this election. It cannot be recognized. It would be the same as recognizing Russia's entry here—Georgian subordination to Russia."
"By rigging elections, one cannot join the EU, but they can fall back into Russia's embrace," commented Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the Estonian parliament's foreign affairs committee. "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 38%. Exit polls conducted by opposition media indicated that the ruling party lost the elections and the majority.
OSCE observers, in their report, pointed to the campaign's polarization, local reports of pressure on voters, and voters' 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.
