According to Georgian election authorities, the pro-Russian ruling party won the election. The pro-Western opposition does not accept the election result.
European election observers said on Sunday that yesterday’s parliamentary elections in Georgia were overshadowed by voter pressure and uneven operating conditions.
The European Security and Cooperation Organization OSCE, the human rights organization the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the military alliance NATO participated in the election observation.
OSCE election observers said they had several concerns about the conduct of the election, including vote-buying, double voting, and violence and intimidation of voters outside polling stations.
According to the Election Commission of Georgia, the pro-Russian ruling party Georgian Dream won the election with a whopping 54 percent of the vote.
The pro-Western opposition has announced that it does not accept the result and considers the elections fraudulent. The opposition plans to organize demonstrations against the election results.
The election result hinders Georgia’s EU aspirations
Georgian Dream used hateful rhetoric in its campaign and promoted “Russian disinformation” and conspiracy theories to influence the vote, said the head of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly monitoring mission, according to the AP news agency. Antonio Lopez-Isturiz White.
According to him, the course of the elections is a sign that the ruling party is “slipping into undemocratic”.
Georgian election observers who monitored the voting in different parts of the country also announced that they had observed several violations. They said that the election result “does not correspond to the will of the Georgian people”.
The parliamentary elections were considered decisive in terms of whether Georgia turns towards Europe or Russia. According to analysts, the election result could overturn Georgia’s efforts to become a member of the European Union.
The Georgian dream has been in power since 2012. Originally, the party pursued a liberal pro-Western policy, but in recent years it has changed its direction.
Party founder, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili declared the Georgian Dream the winner almost immediately after the polls closed. Ivanishvili has made his fortune mainly in Russia.
Sources: AFP, AP, Reuters