Observers: The result of the elections in Georgia does not correspond to the will of the people

2024-10-27 20:00:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Observers: The result of the elections in Georgia does not correspond to the

European observers said today that elections in Georgia took place in a "divisive" environment with widespread threats and instances of physical violence, which undermined the outcome of the election. Georgians were expected to decide whether the country would continue on its path to membership in the European Union or sink further under Russian influence. The Central Election Commission said today that the ruling party, Georgian Dream, won 54.8% of the votes while 100% of them had been counted. Local observers also reported numerous violations in the process and said the results "do not match the will of the Georgian people."

Observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said on Sunday that an uneven electoral playing field in terms of funding undermined confidence in the result and raised questions about whether the election was fair.

"Reports of voter pressure, particularly public sector workers, were widespread in this campaign. This, along with extensive voter tracking on election day, raises concerns about the ability of some citizens to vote without fear. of punishment," said the OSCE special coordinator, Pascal Allizard.

OSCE officials also said they had observed cases of vote buying and double voting especially in rural areas.

The Central Election Commission announced on Sunday that the ruling Georgian Dream Party had secured more than 54% of the vote in Saturday's parliamentary elections, but the result was disputed by the opposition.

On Sunday, the leaders of two of the opposition parties, Tina Bokuchava and Giorgi Vashadze, said that they will not accept the result and warned, among other things, of the development of protests.

"The elections were stolen by the pro-Russian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, and we, the National Movement for Unity, will not accept them. We are here with the president, to consult with him, and we will continue intensive consultations. I hope that the pro-Western democratic opposition will unite", said the leader of the opposition party National Movement for Unity, Tina Bokuchava.

The same attitude was shared by the leader of the Construction of Strategies party, Giorgi Vashdze.

"Our position is that protests are definitely needed, we must show that we are more than them," he said.

Mrs. Bokuchava and Mr. Vashadze made the comments after a meeting with the country's president, Salome Zourabishvili.

The result is seen as a blow to pro-Western Georgians, who saw the process as a choice between the ruling party, which has deepened ties with Russia, and the opposition, which aims to accelerate European integration.

ISFED, a local monitoring group, said it had recorded irregularities in the process, including the stuffing of ballot boxes, bribery and voter intimidation, which it said may have influenced the result.

Representatives of the group said it had not noticed any substantial irregularities in the process of counting the votes, most of which were counted electronically.

The Election Commission and the Georgian Dream party said the election was free and fair and did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the opposition's allegations.

"The fact that the same party can achieve such success in such a difficult situation is a good indicator of the talent of the Georgian people," billionaire and founder of the Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili said on Saturday.

The election result has caused divisions among Georgians.

"I am not completely satisfied that some parties won parliamentary mandates. However, I do not believe that the situation will worsen from what it is currently," says Tbilisi resident Vahtang Magradze.

"I wish the votes between the ruling party and the opposition were equally distributed, it would be better for us. But it seems that things will continue as they have been. I don't expect anything good," says one another resident of Tbilisi Vazha Pophadze.

"The main thing is that there should be peace and there is no need to fight with each other. It is necessary for the nation to unite and everyone be happy. There is no need to insult each other", says this resident of Tbilisi who identified himself only by his name Mamuka.

"The opposition behaves as if it does not believe in itself. I think that all hope is not lost or that we will wake up tomorrow as Russians. Until the next elections, a lot will have changed", says Saba Prunidze, a resident of Tbilisi.

Georgia was once one of the most pro-Western states to emerge from the chaos that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Since the Russian aggression in Ukraine in February 2022, Tbilisi's relations with the West have deteriorated. Unlike many Western allies, Georgia refused to impose sanctions on Moscow, while the rhetoric of the Georgian Dream has become increasingly pro-Russian./ Voa