Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili has accused Russia of orchestrating a “special operation” to influence the country’s recent election, which has been marred by allegations of fraud and voting irregularities. The disputed election has been marked by a divisive pre-election campaign, marked by intimidation and instances of physical violence, which has undermined the outcome of the vote. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, claims to have won the election with almost 55% of the vote, but opposition parties have refused to recognize the results, claiming that the election was a “total falsification, total stealing of your votes”.
European electoral observers have also expressed concerns about the conduct of the election, citing multiple violations, including vote buying, double voting, physical violence and intimidation. The head of the European Parliament monitoring delegation, Antonio Lopez-Isturiz White, has described the election as evidence of the ruling party’s “democratic backsliding”. The opposition has vowed to fight to reclaim their European future, while the President has called on Georgians to take to the streets to protest against the results.
Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili (Image via Getty)
The election has also been marked by concerns about the country’s relations with Europe. Georgia has long been seeking to join the European Union, but its ruling party, Georgian Dream, has been accused of dragging the country towards authoritarianism and killing off hopes of becoming an EU member. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, has called on Georgia’s officials to investigate the electoral irregularities, while Hungary’s Prime Minister, Victor Orban, has been congratulating the ruling party and promised to be the first foreign leader to visit Georgia and meet the Prime Minister.
The situation in Georgia has raised concerns about the influence of Russia in the region, with the President accusing Russia of orchestrating the “special operation” to influence the election. The opposition has also accused the ruling party of being close to Russia and of using aggressive rhetoric to undermine the vote. The election has highlighted the deep divisions within Georgia, with many fearing that the country’s democratic values are being eroded. Despite the controversy, many Georgians remain committed to the country’s European future, and the opposition is likely to continue to fight to achieve this goal.
