Georgia crisis: Opposition rejects parliamentary seats over alleged election interference
The opposition Coalition for Change announced on Sunday that it is giving up the seats it officially won in the parliamentary elections in Georgia because it does not wish to legitimize them. The group's leader claims that a "technological special operation" orchestrated by Russian services occurred in the country.
- We do not plan to legitimize the votes stolen from the Georgian nation, we are renouncing our parliamentary seats - stated Nana Malashkhia, who headed the electoral list of the bloc.
One of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, Nika Gwaramia, stated that a "technological special operation" directed by Russian special services and a "usurpation of power" has taken place in Georgia - reported the Echo of the Caucasus portal (a branch of Radio Liberty).
Elections in Georgia
After counting ballots from 99% of polling stations in the parliamentary elections, the ruling Georgian Dream leads with 54.09% - the Georgian Central Election Commission announced on Sunday morning. The opposition forces that crossed the electoral threshold officially secured a total of 37.58% of the votes. The Georgian opposition announced that it does not recognize the results presented by the CEC.
According to official data, the Coalition for Change won 11% of the votes in the elections and is eligible for up to 20 seats in the new parliament. Malashkhia emphasized that the first 20 candidates from their list are refusing their seats.
Other opposition forces that surpassed the 5 percent electoral threshold have not yet made similar statements. However, they believe the elections were rigged and do not recognize the results.
The Central Election Commission announced that Saturday's elections were won by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which has governed since 2012, with a result of 54%.
