Georgia election unrest: Protests challenge pro‑Russian results
The political situation in Georgia remains tense. As President Salome Zurabishvili announced yesterday, protests against the official election results began on Monday afternoon. Thousands of people took to the streets of Tbilisi.
On Sunday, the President of Georgia and opposition leaders called on those who disagree with the parliamentary election results to express their dissent to the streets. As announced, protests began on Monday afternoon.
According to Belsat, people are starting to gather in front of the parliament. Meanwhile, opposition leaders are meeting with representatives of the democratic corps.
Thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the election results, "which were won by the pro-Russian government." At the same time, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Tbilisi. He intends to personally congratulate the victory of the Georgian Dream party, which has been ruling the country since 2012.
According to data presented by the Georgian Central Election Commission, Saturday's elections were won by the ruling Georgian Dream party, accused of moving away from democratic standards and having pro-Russian sympathies. The opposition and the president did not recognize the official results, and observers pointed to irregularities during the voting.
The president accused the ruling Georgian Dream of "acting hand in hand with Russia" and possibly receiving assistance from Russian security services.
Julian Bulai, head of the delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, reported that observers noted instances of vote-buying. He emphasized that the political climate favoured voter intimidation, especially in rural areas.
