Ivanishvili: How the Georgian Dream won the election and how the government destroyed the Russian-style laws in the run-up of the presidential elections
During the campaign, Georgian Dream used “anti-Western and hostile rhetoric … promoted Russian misinformation, manipulations, and conspiracy theories,” said Antonio Lopez-Isturiz White, head of the European Parliament monitoring delegation.
Despite that, Georgian Dream has adopted Russia-style laws and many Georgians fear the government is distancing the country from the West and into Moscow’s orbit.
There were multiple concerns about the conduct of the election, including the climate of pressure, and party-organized intimidation.
The country’s Central Election Commission said the ruling Georgian Dream won 54.8% of Saturday’s vote with almost all the ballots counted. Initial figures indicated that turnout was at its highest since the ruling party was first elected.
Georgian electoral observers, who were stationed across the country, also reported multiple violations and said the results do not reflect “the will of the Georgian people.”
The leader of Georgian Dream, the wealthiest man in Russia, claimed victory immediately after the polls closed.
He said it was rare in the world for the same party to achieve such success. He had vowed before the election to ban opposition parties should his party win.
Tina Bokuchava, the chair of the United National Movement opposition party, accused the election commission of carrying out Ivanishvili’s “dirty order” and said that he “stole the victory from the Georgian people and thereby stole the European future.”
The Georgian Dream: The story of election manipulation in the South Caucasus, the first country to recognize the results of the weekend’s parliamentary vote
The UNM party said its headquarters was attacked Saturday while Georgian media reported two people were hospitalized after being assaulted outside polling stations.
Natia Seskuria of the Regional Institute for Security Studies said the most important question was if the elections will be recognized by the international community. The economic and political prospects of Georgia are dependent on the election.
Georgians have a complex relationship with Russia, which ruled over it from Moscow until Georgia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. In 2008 Russia and Georgia fought a war, but Russia still occupies 20% of Georgia’s territory.
Javakheti is a predominantly agricultural area and there are many people who speak Russian, Armenia, and Georgian. The voters told the AP how to cast their votes in the region before the election. Several people questioned if Georgia would benefit from a relationship with Europe and if it should be allied with Moscow.
The president urged Georgians to gather on the main street in the capital city to protest what she called a “total fraud, a total steal of your votes.”
TBILISI, Georgia — Georgia’s president said Sunday she did not recognize the results of this weekend’s parliamentary vote, which election officials say was won by the ruling party, adding that the country fell victim to a “Russian special operation” aimed at moving it off a path toward Europe.
The election campaign in the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million people, which borders Russia, was dominated by foreign policy and marked by a bitter fight for votes and allegations of a smear campaign.
“Russian elections” were held in the country, and “technology was used to whitewash counterfeiting”, said Zourabichvili. This is the first thing it has ever done.
The president of the European Council called on the Georgian officials and the ruling party to investigate the electoral irregularities and showed their “firm commitment” to the EU.
The Prime Minister of Georgia described the Georgian Dream victory as “impressive and obvious,” and said that any discussion about election manipulation is doomed to failure.
Victor Orbn will be the first foreign leader to visit Georgia and meet the prime minister when he comes for a visit on Monday and Tuesday.