A recount of votes will begin this Tuesday, October 29 in 14% of polling stations in Georgia, where the pro-European opposition accuses the ruling party of fraud and of having “stolen” the legislative elections, announced the electoral commission. The authorities “will conduct a recount of votes in five polling stations in each constituency,” according to a press release from the commission.
Brussels and Washington have asked Tbilisi to open investigations into allegations of irregularities. A discordant voice within the European Union, Hungarian leader Viktor Orban is however in Georgia where he arrived Monday evening to show his support for the government in the face of these accusations.
“Russian methodology”
At the call of the opposition and President Salomé Zourabichvili, tens of thousands of Georgians demonstrated peacefully on Monday evening to denounce the result of the legislative elections won by the party in power since 2012.
Georgian Dream is accused by its opponents of steering the country towards Moscow. Salomé Zourabichvili denounced “sophisticated” fraud methods, similar, according to her, to what is practiced in Russia. “It’s very difficult to accuse a government,” “but the methodology is Russian,” said the pro-European head of state in an interview with AFP.
The spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, rejected “unfounded accusations” and refuted any interference by his country in the electoral process.