President challenges election results as Georgia cracks down on protesters

Police clash with pro-West protesters arsenic President Zurabishvili demands annulment of October re-election of Georgian Dream government, accused of expanding authoritarianism and Russian links.

Police person arrested dozens successful a crackdown connected protests against the re-election of the Georgian Dream enactment successful past month’s parliamentary election.

At slightest 16 radical were detained connected Tuesday arsenic constabulary clashed with protesters astatine a campy successful the centre of the capital, Tbilisi. Representatives for President Salome Zurabishvili announced that the pro-Western caput of authorities had launched a ineligible situation to the election, which handed the ruling Georgian Dream a 4th word successful power.

Zurabishvili has asked the law tribunal to annul the results of the October 26 ballot “over widespread violations of voting universality and ballot secrecy”, according to her lawyer Eka Beselia.

Leaders of 3 of the 4 absorption parties that won seats person called for daily protests to forestall the caller league of parliament from opening aboriginal successful November.

Georgian Dream’s opponents formed the enactment arsenic pro-Russian and accidental its continued regularisation volition torpedo the country’s chances of joining the European Union.

A fewer 100 protesters had erected tents and occupied a main avenue successful Tbilisi for 2 nights until they were dispersed connected Tuesday morning.

Georgian demonstrators look instrumentality enforcement officers during a protestation successful Tbilisi [Giorgi Arjevanidze/AFP]

Video showed constabulary throwing immoderate protesters to the crushed and dragging them on the pavement. Some officers utilized capsicum spray from adjacent range.

Georgia’s Interpress quality bureau said 16 radical had been detained but that 3 had already been released.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs said protesters had illegally blocked postulation and urged them to permission the area. It did not notation immoderate arrests.

Coalition for Change, 1 of the 4 absorption groups, said respective of its members had been arrested and immoderate suffered injuries.

A cameraman for Mtavari Arkhi, an absorption tv channel, was besides detained, the outlet said.

Statistically impossible

The Central Election Commission (CEC) connected Saturday officially confirmed Georgian Dream’s triumph with 54 percent of the vote, though 2 US pollsters commissioned by the absorption person said the effect is statistically impossible.

Widely seen arsenic pivotal for the state of astir 3.7 cardinal people, the predetermination offered a prime betwixt further European integration nether the pro-Western absorption oregon person ties with Moscow nether a governing enactment that critics accidental is progressively authoritarian.

Observer groups, including the 57-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation successful Europe (OSCE), person said violations specified arsenic ballot stuffing, elector intimidation and bribery could person swayed the election, but stopped abbreviated of saying it was outright stolen.

In the look of wide suspicion, Russia has vigorously denied immoderate interference successful Georgia’s affairs.