The president of Georgia accuses Russia of meddling in the elections and calls on the West to support the protests

TBILISI, Georgia — The President of Georgia on Monday called on the West to support the opposition protests official results parliamentary elections at the weekend, in which the ruling party was declared victorious amid voting irregularities and allegations of Russian interference.

President Salome Zurabishvili, who refused to recognize the official results, told the Associated Press that the South Caucasus country fell victim to Russian pressure aimed at derailing Georgia’s plans to join the European Union.

“We saw that Russian propaganda was used directly,” said Zurabishvili, a fierce critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party. She said the government “worked side by side with Russia” and “probably” received help from Moscow’s security services.

EU Commission spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said on Monday that the Georgian Dream election campaign was “directly inspired” by Russian propaganda and an “unprecedented level of disinformation”.

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”.

The Central Election Commission said the Georgian Dream party won 54.8 percent of the vote on Saturday after nearly all ballots were 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 and LGBTQ+ rights.

The protest is the only way Georgians can “express that their votes are stolen, that their future is stolen,” she told the AP.

She expressed hope that the US and the EU would support the demonstrations.

“We need the firm support of our European partners, our American partners,” Zurabishvili said, adding that it is in the interests of a “powerful Europe” to be present in the Caucasus and for the region to be stable.

Asked if she wanted to impose sanctions on Georgian officials, Zurabishvili told the AP that it was up to Western leaders, but “of course, this is not the time to restore relations with a government that is currently illegitimate.”

In a statement, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken 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 toward its Euro-Atlantic future.”

Massrali said the EU expects the Central Election Commission and other bodies to “quickly, transparently and independently investigate and rule on election violations and allegations.”

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 denied that it was the West that tried to influence the vote.

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

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, a member of Georgian Dream, accused the president of creating a “coup scenario” that “contradicts the constitutional order and democratic elections.”

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 observers said the election took place in a “divisive” atmosphere 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.

Election observers noted that cases of intimidation and other violations are particularly visible 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, called his party’s success “impressive and obvious” and that “any attempts to talk about election manipulation… are doomed to failure.”

Initial data indicated voter turnout was the highest since Georgian Dream was first elected in 2012. The party has vowed to continue pushing for EU membership, but also wants to “reset” 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 said Georgian Dream must demonstrate its “firm commitment” to the EU.

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán became the first foreign leader to welcome the “Georgian Dream” and will visit Georgia on Monday and Tuesday.

Zurabishvili said he was a “special friend” of Georgian Dream and dismissed his visit as a “political game”.

Orbán has “no mandate from the EU Council” to visit Georgia, Massrali said on behalf of the EU.

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Associated Press reporter Sofiko Megrelidze contributed.