Georgian President Calls for Street Protests Against Parliamentary Election Results

The President of Georgia, in response to the announced results of the parliamentary elections in the country, stated that she does not recognize these results and has called for public protests. Salome Zourabichvili said on Sunday, November 6, at a press conference that her country has become a 'victim of special operations by Russia,' although she did not provide any evidence for this claim. She, who is from the pro-Western political faction, called for street protests against the election results. The President of Georgia stated at the press conference that she does not recognize these elections and added: 'It cannot be recognized. It is like recognizing Russia's entry here... and Georgia becoming subordinate to Russia.' She emphasized that her country will not abandon its 'European future.' Meanwhile, the electoral officials of the Republic of Georgia announced on Sunday that the ruling pro-Russian party 'Georgian Dream' won the parliamentary elections, leading to allegations of fraud and calls for protests among pro-Western opponents. The conservative nationalist party led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili was declared the winner with 54% of the votes after nearly all ballots were counted. Giorgi Kaladze, the head of the Central Election Commission, announced this news in Tbilisi. Kaladze stated that after counting 99% of the precincts, there were still some votes remaining from abroad, and the final official result was not yet available. Several pro-European opposition coalitions rejected the preliminary results and announced that they would hold protests claiming victory in the elections. Opponents are concerned that the country may drift away from its path to join the European Union, as the current leadership uses images of destruction in Ukraine to illustrate the potential consequences of voting for pro-Western parties. In total, about 3.5 million Georgians were called to the polls both inside and outside the country. According to preliminary statistics, voter turnout was about 59%, which is three percent higher than in 2020. Georgia, with a population of 3.7 million, was announced as a candidate for joining the European Union at the end of 2023, but this process has currently stalled due to controversial laws. The divided opposition is also concerned that under Ivanishvili's leadership, who made his fortune in Moscow, Georgia may lean more towards Russia and ultimately distance itself from the European Union's path. Meanwhile, the ruling 'Georgian Dream' party, founded by Ivanishvili, campaigned on promises of peace and stability, emphasizing concerns about war with Russia if the opposition wins. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were among the first to congratulate 'Georgian Dream' on its victory. After the preliminary results were announced, Salome Zourabichvili, the pro-Western President of Georgia, stated that the opposition had collectively gained 52% of the votes and could form a parliamentary majority. However, the election commission announced four opposition coalitions that crossed the 5% threshold with over 37% of the votes. In this former Soviet republic located on the Black Sea, the opposition is severely fragmented, leading to the emergence of electoral coalitions ahead of the vote. The 'Unity' coalition, led by the largest opposition party in the 2020 parliamentary elections, the 'United National Movement,' garnered about 10% of the votes. The rival 'Change' coalition was also the strongest opposition alliance with about 11% of the votes. Two other coalitions received less than 10% of the votes each.