Georgia is voting in elections that could bring it into the EU or into the orbit of Russia

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgians headed to the polls Saturday in what many citizens see as a watershed vote on whether to join the European Union.

The election campaign in the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people, which borders Russia, has been influenced by foreign policy and marked by a fierce battle for votes and allegations of a smear campaign. This will determine whether Georgia will return to the path of EU membership, or whether it will adopt authoritarianism and fall into the orbit of Russia.

Some Georgians complained of intimidation and under pressure to force a vote for the ruling Georgian Dream party, while the opposition accused the party of waging a “hybrid war” against its citizens.

A video shared on social media on Saturday showed a man dropping ballots into a ballot box at a polling station in the town of Marneuli, 42 kilometers (26 miles) south of Tbilisi. Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said it had launched an investigation, and the Central Election Commission said a criminal case had been opened and that all voting results at the polling station would be invalidated.

On the eve of the parliamentary elections, Bidzin Ivanishvili — shadow billionaire who founded Georgian Dream and made his fortune in Russia — again vowed to ban opposition parties if his party wins.

“Georgian Dream” will hold opposition parties to “full responsibility to the full extent of the law” for “war crimes” committed against the people of Georgia, Ivanishvili said at a pro-government rally in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, on Wednesday. He did not explain what crimes, in his opinion, were committed by the opposition.

Many believe these elections could be the most important since Georgia gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

“These are existential elections,” said Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili.

Georgians want “European integration, they want to move forward and they want politics that will bring us a better, more stable future,” Christine Tordia, 29, told The Associated Press shortly after the vote in the capital, Tbilisi.

According to polls, about 80% of Georgians are in favor of joining the EU, and the country’s constitution obliges its leaders to seek membership in this bloc and NATO.

But Brussels suspended Georgia’s bid to join the EU indefinitely after the ruling party adopted a “Russian law” destruction of freedom of speech in June Many Georgians fear that the party is dragging the country into authoritarianism and killing hopes of joining the EU.

The election is “not only about changing the government, but whether Georgia will survive or not, because Ivanishvili’s government means Russia,” said Nika Gvaramia, leader of the opposition Coalition for Change group.

Ivanishvili voted on Saturday morning under increased security. He did not respond to the AP’s question about whether he wants to form an alliance with Russia.

Elections, he said, are a choice between “a government that will serve you” or “choosing agents of a foreign country who will only do the bidding of that foreign country.” Ivanishvili did not specify which country he was referring to, but before the election he and his officials claimed that the “Global War Party” sought to influence the EU and the US, expand the conflict in Ukraine and free “Georgian Dream” from power.

During the voting, Georgians will elect 150 deputies from 18 parties. If no party gets the 76 seats needed to form a government for a four-year term, the president will invite the largest party to form a coalition.

The opposition parties ignored Zurabishvili’s request to unite into a single party, but signed its “charter” on reforms necessary for EU membership.

Zurabishvili told the AP on Thursday that she believes most Georgians are mobilizing to vote, “despite some cases of intimidation, despite the use of public resources … and the use of financial resources” by the government.

Georgian Dream posted billboards across the country contrasting black-and-white images of destruction in Ukraine with color images of life in Georgia, along with the slogan “Say no to war, choose peace.”

The ruling and opposition parties have told voters they will seek EU membership, although the Georgian Dream laws have dashed that hope.

“The EU has decided to stop Georgia’s integration process unilaterally,” said Vakhtang Asanidze, speaking to AP at a pro-government rally in Tbilisi. He said he saw no reason why Georgia could not join the EU despite the laws.

At an EU summit last week, EU leaders said they were “gravely concerned about the actions of the Georgian government”.

Although Georgian Dream has passed laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on its critics, voters at the pro-government rally said they did not see the election as a choice between Russia and Europe.

“We remember everything about Russia, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Latavra Dashniani told the rally, referring to Russia’s occupation of 20 percent of Georgia after a brief war between the two countries in 2008.

A vote for the ruling party, she said, would ensure Georgia’s entry into Europe “with dignity,” alluding to its conservative values, including its opposition to the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

Polling stations for the parliamentary elections opened at 8 am local time and will close 12 hours later.

“Georgian Dream” opposes three coalitions: “National Unity Movement”, “Lelo Coalition for Changes” and “Strong Georgia”.

The Gakharia for Georgia party, founded by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, said it would not enter into an alliance with anyone, but would support the opposition in forming a government.

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Associated Press producer Sofiko Megrelidze contributed to this report