Georgia votes in an election that could take it toward the EU or into Russia's orbit

Georgians headed to the polls Saturday successful a ballot galore citizens spot arsenic a make-or-break ballot connected the accidental to articulation the European Union.

The pre-election run successful the South Caucasus federation of 3.7 cardinal radical has been dominated by overseas argumentation and marked by a bitter combat for votes and allegations of a smear campaign. Some Georgians complained of intimidation and being pressured to ballot for the ruling party, Georgian Dream, portion the absorption accused the enactment of carrying retired a "hybrid war" against its citizens.

Ahead of the parliamentary election, Bidzina Ivanishvili — a shadowy billionaire who acceptable up Georgian Dream and made his luck successful Russia — vowed again to prohibition absorption parties should his enactment win.

Georgian Dream volition clasp absorption parties "fully accountable nether the afloat unit of the law" for "war crimes" committed against the radical of Georgia, Ivanishvili said astatine a pro-government rally successful the superior Tbilisi Wednesday. He did not explicate what crimes helium believes the absorption has committed.

Georgians volition elite 150 lawmakers from 18 parties. If nary enactment wins the 76 seats required to signifier a authorities for a four-year term, the president volition invitation the largest enactment to signifier a coalition.

Many judge the predetermination whitethorn beryllium the astir important ballot of their lifetimes; it volition find whether Georgia gets backmost connected way to EU rank oregon embraces authoritarianism and falls into Russia's orbit.

"It's an existential election," Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said.

Georgians privation "European integration, privation to determination guardant and privation policies which volition bring america a better, much stable, future," Qristine Tordia, 29, told The Associated Press soon aft voting successful the capital, Tbilisi.

Around 80% of Georgians favour joining the EU according to polls and the country's constitution obliges its leaders to prosecute rank successful that bloc and NATO.

But Brussels enactment Georgia's bid for introduction to the EU connected clasp indefinitely aft the ruling enactment passed a "Russian law" cracking down connected state of code successful June. Many Georgians fearfulness the enactment is dragging the state towards authoritarianism and sidesplitting disconnected hopes it could articulation the EU.

The absorption parties person ignored Zourabichvili's petition to unite into a azygous enactment but person signed up to her "charter" to transportation retired the reforms required by the EU to join.

Zourabichvili told the AP connected Thursday she believed astir Georgians would mobilize to ballot "despite immoderate instances of intimidation, contempt the usage of authorities resources ... and the usage of fiscal resources" by the government.

Georgian Dream took retired billboards crossed the state contrasting black-and-white images of demolition successful Ukraine with colorful images of beingness successful Georgia alongside the slogan, "Say nary to warfare — take peace."

The governing and absorption parties told voters they would prosecute EU rank adjacent though laws passed by Georgian Dream person enactment that anticipation connected hold.

"The EU decided to halt Georgia's integration process unilaterally," said Vakhtang Asanidze, who spoke to AP astatine a pro-government rally successful Tbilisi. He said helium saw nary crushed wherefore Georgia could not articulation the EU successful spite of the laws.

At the EU acme past week, EU leaders said they person "serious concerns regarding the people of enactment taken by the Georgian government."

While Georgian Dream has adopted laws akin to those utilized by the Kremlin to ace down connected its critics, voters astatine the pro-government rally said they did not presumption the predetermination arsenic a prime betwixt Russia oregon Europe.

"We retrieve everything astir Russia, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia," said Latavra Dashniani astatine the rally, referring to Russia's concern of 20% of Georgian territory aft the 2 countries fought a abbreviated warfare successful 2008.

Voting for the ruling party, she said, would guarantee Georgia enters Europe "with dignity," alluding to its blimpish values, including absorption to rights for LGBTQ+ people.

Polls opened successful the parliamentary predetermination astatine 8 a.m. section clip and volition adjacent 12 hours later.

Georgian Dream stands against 3 coalitions: the Unity National Movement, the Coalition for Changes Lelo, and Strong Georgia.

The Gakharia for Georgia party, acceptable up by erstwhile premier curate Giorgi Gakharia, said it volition not spell into an confederation with anyone but volition enactment the absorption to signifier a government.