Georgia’s president calls on the West to back protests against ruling party after it claims election victory

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s president on Monday called on the West to support opposition protests against official results parliamentary elections at the weekend, in which the ruling party was declared victorious amid voting irregularities and allegations of Russian interference.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who refused to recognize the official results, said in an interview with the Associated Press that the South Caucasus country fell victim to Russian pressure aimed at derailing its plans to join the European Union.

“We saw Russian propaganda being used directly,” said Zurabishvili, a fierce critic of the ruling party. She said the Georgian government “worked hand-in-hand with Russia” and likely had help from Russian security services.

On Sunday, Zurabishvili stood alongside opposition leaders and called on Georgians to join a rally on a main street in the capital, Tbilisi, on Monday night to protest what she called a “total falsification, a total theft of your votes”.

She told the AP that she expected the US and EU to support the protests.

“We need firm support from our European partners, our American partners,” Zurabishvili said.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on social media platform X that “the people of Georgia embraced democracy yesterday” and called on Georgia’s political leaders to “respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, address flaws in the electoral process and move Georgia towards its Euro-Atlantic future “.

The Kremlin rejected the accusations of interference.

“We do not interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs and have no intention of interfering,” said Kremlin press secretary Dmytro Peskov. He accused that it was the West that tried to influence the results of the vote.

Answering a question about Zurabishvili’s call to Georgians to join the protests, he called it an attempt to destabilize the country.

The Central Election Commission reported on Sunday that the ruling Georgian Dream party had won 54.8% of the vote on Saturday after almost all ballots had been counted. The party is founded Bidzina Ivanishvili, shadow billionaire who made his fortune in Russia — has become increasingly authoritarian over the past year, passing laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to stifle free speech.

The EU has suspended Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely due to Russian style “Foreign Influence Act” passed in June. Many Georgians saw Saturday’s vote as a key referendum on the possibility of joining the EU.

The election campaign in the country of 3.7 million people, which borders Russia, was marked by a fierce battle for votes and allegations of a smear campaign. European election monitors said the election took place in a “divisive” environment marked by intimidation and incidents of vote-buying, double voting and physical violence.

During the campaign, Georgian Dream used “anti-Western and hostile rhetoric … promoted Russian disinformation, manipulation and conspiracy theories,” said Antonio López-Isturiz White, head of the European Parliament’s monitoring delegation.

According to observers, cases of intimidation and election violations were particularly noticeable in rural areas.

Georgian Dream won the largest share of votes – almost 90% – in the Javakheti region in southern Georgia. In the capital, he received no more than 44% in any district.

Prime Minister Iraklii Kobakhidze, a member of Georgian Dream, on Sunday called his party’s success “impressive and obvious” and that “any attempts to talk about election manipulation… are doomed to failure.”

Initial data indicated that voter turnout was the highest since Georgian Dream was elected in 2012. The party promised to continue the movement towards joining the EU, as well as to “restore” ties with Georgia’s former imperial master, Russia. In 2008, Georgia fought and lost a brief war with Russia, which then recognized the independence of two separatist regions of Georgia and increased its military presence there.

European Council President Charles Michel called on Georgian officials to “quickly, transparently and independently investigate” election irregularities and called on the ruling party to demonstrate its “firm commitment” to the EU.

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán was the first foreign leader to welcome the Georgian Dream and will be the first to visit Georgia and meet the prime minister during a trip to Tbilisi on Monday and Tuesday.

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Associated Press journalist Sofiko Megrelidze took part in this report.