EU urges probe into Georgia’s vote ‘irregularities’; PM rejects accusations

Georgia’s president has called for wide protests, but the Georgian premier curate says the ruling party’s triumph ‘is impressive’.

The European Union has called for an probe into predetermination “irregularities” successful Georgia’s disputed parliamentary elections, and Pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili refused to recognise the effect that saw the ruling Georgian Dream triumph the vote.

The pro-Western absorption groups, who person said the predetermination has been stolen, fearfulness the ruling enactment volition determination the state towards Russia’s orbit, creating a roadblock successful its EU accession process.

After gathering with absorption leaders successful Tbilisi, Zurabishvili said determination had been a “total falsification of the election”.

“It was a full falsification of elections … I don’t recognise these elections. I telephone connected radical to basal unneurotic and accidental that we don’t recognise these elections,” Zourabichvili said successful a televised code connected Sunday.

Jailed erstwhile president Mikheil Saakashvili besides called for wide protests.

“Certainly, nary 1 should participate parliament! Now is the clip for wide protests. We indispensable amusement the satellite that we are warring for state and that we are a radical who volition not tolerate injustice,” helium said connected Facebook.

EU Council main Charles Michel wrote connected X that the authorities should “swiftly, transparently and independently analyse and adjudicate electoral irregularities and allegations thereof.

“These alleged irregularities indispensable beryllium earnestly clarified and addressed,” helium said connected Sunday.

International observers said Saturday’s predetermination was “marred by an uneven playing field, unit and tension”.

A ngo from the European Parliament besides expressed interest astir “democratic backsliding”, saying it had seen instances of “ballot container stuffing” and the “physical assault” of observers.

But incumbent Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has rejected accusations of ballot rigging successful an interrogation with the BBC aft his Georgian Dream enactment won the predetermination with much than 54 percent votes. Kobakhidze has been accused of moving the state towards Russia.

‘Time for wide protests’

Saturday’s effect has acceptable the signifier for a governmental showdown.

Zourabichvili, the existent president, besides accused Russia of being down the alleged predetermination fraud.

“We are witnesses and victims of a Russian peculiar operation, a modern signifier of hybrid warfare against the Georgian people,” she said.

But Prime Minister Kobakhidze insists his party’s triumph “is impressive”.

In a statement, helium besides accused the absorption of “undermining the country’s law order” by questioning his party’s victory.

In powerfulness since 2012, Georgian Dream initially pursued a wide pro-Western argumentation agenda.

But it has reversed people implicit the past 2 years.

Its run centred connected a conspiracy mentation astir a “global warfare party” that controls Western institutions and that has been seeking to resistance Georgia into the Russia-Ukraine war.

In a state scarred by Russia’s 2008 invasion, the enactment besides offered voters bogeyman stories astir an imminent menace of war, which lone Georgian Dream could prevent.

Moreover, Georgian Dream’s arguable “foreign influence” law, which targeted civilian society, sparked weeks of thoroughfare protests and was criticised arsenic a Kremlin-style measurement to soundlessness dissent. The determination prompted Brussels to frost Georgia’s EU accession process, portion Washington imposed sanctions connected dozens of Georgian officials.

The ruling enactment has besides mounted a run against intersexual minorities. It has adopted measures that prohibition LGBTQ “propaganda”, nullify same-sex marriages conducted abroad, and outlaw sex reassignment.

EU dreams slipping away?

The EU has warned that Saturday’s ballot volition find Tbilisi’s chances of joining the 27-member bloc.

Tina Bokuchava, person of Saakashvili’s United National Movement (UNM) that campaigned connected a pro-European platform, said the results were “falsified” and the predetermination “stolen”.

“This is an effort to bargain Georgia’s future,” she said, declaring that the UNM did not judge the results.

Amid fears of Georgia’s EU rank dreams slipping away, the Georgian authorities announced connected Sunday that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a staunch state of the ruling enactment and the existent holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, would sojourn the state connected Monday.

Orban had rushed to congratulate Georgian Dream for an “overwhelming victory” connected Saturday aft an exit canvass showed the authorities successful the lead.