Tens of thousands of Georgians massed outside parliament on the night of Monday, October 28, demanding the annulment of the weekend parliamentary election that the president has alleged was rigged with the help of Russia. The rally deepened the political crisis in the South Caucasus country, where the governing Georgian Dream party has become increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow.
The Central Election Commission said Georgian Dream received 54.8% of the vote with almost all ballots counted. The party – established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia – has adopted laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights .
"You did not lose the election," President Salome Zourabichvili told the demonstrators who waved Georgian and European Union flags. "They stole your vote and tried to steal your future, but no one has the right to do that and you will not let anyone do that!" Zourabichvili, a mostly ceremonial president, told the crowd that she would defend the country's path toward Europe against actions by Georgian Dream. "We have no alternative and nothing else we want to leave this country for the next generations," she said.
Zourabichvili told the crowd "a complete picture must be drawn of how this massive, systematic theft of votes took place," adding it was an "unprecedented, pre-planned operation that robbed us of our votes, our parliament, and our constitution." She has not detailed any evidence.
Many Georgians viewed Saturday's vote as a pivotal referendum on the opportunity to join the EU. The EU suspended Georgia's membership application process indefinitely because of a Russian-style "foreign influence law" passed in June.
Initial figures suggested turnout was among the highest since Georgian Dream first won control of parliament in 2012. The party has vowed to continue pushing toward EU accession but also wants to "reset" ties with Georgia's former imperial master, Russia.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, a member of Georgian Dream, described his party's success as "impressive and obvious," and that "any attempts to talk about election manipulation (...) are doomed to failure."
Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili, a member of Georgian Dream, accused the president of creating "a coup scenario" that goes "against the constitutional order and democratic elections."
Election observers said instances of intimidation and other violations were particularly noticeable in rural areas. Georgian Dream scored its highest share of the vote – almost 90% – in the Javakheti region of southern Georgia. In the capital it received no more than 44% in any district.
Giorgi Vashadze, leader of United National Movement coalition, said the opposition won't take part in any talks with the government and push for a new vote under international supervision. "We are not going to enter this parliament. We refuse all mandates," he said. "We are not going to enter into any negotiations. We are going to fight until victory and we promise you, we will definitely win together."
The US and the European Union urged full investigations of the result of Saturday's election.
"Georgians, like all Europeans, must be masters of their own destiny," said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
European Council President Charles Michel urged Georgian officials to "swiftly, transparently and independently investigate" the electoral irregularities and said Georgian Dream should demonstrate its "firm commitment" to the EU.
Hungary's Victor Orbán, who was the first foreign leader to congratulate Georgian Dream, arrived Monday on a two-day visit to Georgia.
Ministers from 13 European Union countries on Monday condemned the "violation of international norms" in Georgia's contested parliamentary elections, labelling them "incompatible with the standards expected from a candidate" to the EU. They also said that they "criticise" Orban's "premature visit to Georgia" in support of the government.
"International observers reported violations during the election campaign as well as on election day," foreign and European affairs ministers from countries including Germany, France, Poland and the Netherlands said in a joint statement. "We condemn all violation of international norms for free and fair elections."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Georgia's political leaders to "respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, address deficiencies in the electoral process, and move Georgia toward its Euro-Atlantic future."
He called for a full investigation of all reports of election-related violations, as did EU Commission spokeswoman Nabila Massrali, who said Georgian Dream's campaign was "directly inspired" by Russian propaganda and there were "unprecedented levels of disinformation."
The Kremlin has rejected the accusations of interference. "We aren't meddling in Georgia's internal affairs, and we have no intention of meddling," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He countered that it was the West that had tried to influence the vote. Asked about Zourabichvili's call for the Georgians to join protests, he described it as an attempt to destabilize the country.