The opposition conflicts in Georgia come amid crucial votes that could decide the country’s role in Europe

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s opposition disputed election results Saturday after officials said the ruling party was leading the crucial vote that could decide whether the country turns to embrace the West or falls back into Russia’s orbit.

Many Georgians viewed the vote as a referendum on the possibility of joining the European Union. Early figures show that turnout is the highest since the ruling Georgian Dream party was first elected in 2012.

The Central Election Commission of Georgia said Georgian Dream won 52.99% with the majority of votes counted. Not all paper ballots and votes cast by Georgians abroad have been counted and it is unclear when a final result could be announced.

Georgian Dream opposed four major opposition groups, which indicated they would not accept the results. The opposition initially declared victory shortly after polling stations closed at 8pm local time (4pm GMT).

If Georgian Dream’s victory is confirmed, the party will have a parliamentary majority, fueling fears over the country’s attempt to join the EU. The party has become increasingly authoritarian and has passed laws similar to those used by Russia to crack down on freedom of expression. After one such law was passed Earlier this year, Brussels suspended Georgia’s EU membership process.

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgian Dream, claimed victory almost immediately after the polls closed, saying: “It is rare in the world that the same party achieves so much success in such a difficult situation.”

Tina Bokuchava, the chairman of the opposition United National Movement party, accused the CEC of carrying out Ivanishvili’s “dirty order” and said he had “stolen the victory of the Georgian people and thereby stolen the European future.”

She indicated that the opposition would not recognize the results and “will fight like never before to reclaim our European future.”

Georgian election observers who stationed thousands of people across the country to monitor the vote said there were multiple violations and that the results “do not reflect the will of the Georgian people.”

The election campaign in the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million, which borders Russia, has been dominated by foreign policy and marked by a bitter battle for votes and accusations of a smear campaign.

Some Georgians complained of harassment and being pressured to vote for Georgian Dream, while the opposition accused the party of waging a “hybrid war” against its citizens.

The main opposition party, United National Movement, said its headquarters were attacked on election day. Georgian media also reported that two people had been hospitalized after being attacked outside polling stations, one in the western town of Zugdidi and the other in Marneuli, a town south of the capital Tbilisi.

There were also reports of several voting irregularities.

A video shared on social media on Saturday also showed a man putting ballots into a box at a polling station in Marneuli. Georgia’s Interior Ministry said it had launched an investigation and the Central Election Commission said a criminal case had been opened and all polling station results would be annulled.

Georgian Dream says it will ban opposition parties

Before the parliamentary elections Ivanishvili – the shadowy billionaire who founded Georgian Dream and made his fortune in Russia – and again promised to ban opposition parties if his party won.

Georgian Dream will hold opposition parties “fully accountable under the full force of the law” for “war crimes” committed against the Georgian people, Ivanishvili said Wednesday at a pro-government rally in Tbilisi. He did not explain what crimes he believes the opposition has committed.

Many believed the election was the most crucial vote since Georgia gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili described it as an “existential election.”

Georgians want “European integration, want to move forward and want policies that will bring us a better, more stable future,” Qristine Tordia, 29, told The Associated Press shortly after the vote in Tbilisi.

According to opinion polls, about 80% of Georgians support joining the EU, and the country’s constitution obliges its leaders to pursue membership of that bloc and NATO.

But Brussels has indefinitely suspended Georgia’s bid to join the EU after the ruling party passed a “Russian law”. restrict freedom of expression in June. Many Georgians fear that the Georgian Dream will drag the country towards authoritarianism and extinguish hopes of joining the EU.

The elections are “not just about changing governments, it’s about whether Georgia survives or not, because Ivanishvili’s government means Russia,” said Nika Gvaramia, leader of Coalition for Changes, an opposition group before polls closed.

Ivanishvili voted under heavy security on Saturday morning. He did not respond to the AP’s question about whether he wanted to form an alliance with Russia.

He said the elections are a choice between a “government that will serve you” or “electing agents of a foreign country who will only fulfill the requests of the foreign country.” Ivanishvili did not specify which country he was referring to, but after the election he and his officials claimed that a “Global War Party” was trying to influence the EU and the US, increase the conflict in Ukraine and drive the Georgian Dream from power .

The opposition supports the plan for reforms that the EU needs

The opposition parties ignored Zourabichvili’s request to unite into one party, but signed her ‘charter’ to implement the reforms the EU needed to join.

The ruling and opposition parties told voters they would pursue EU membership, even though laws passed by Georgian Dream have put those hopes on hold.

At the EU summit last week, EU leaders said they have “serious concerns about the actions of the Georgian government”.

Georgian Dream opposed three coalitions: the Unity National Movement, the Coalition for Changes Lelo and Strong Georgia.

The Gakharia for Georgia party, founded by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, said it will not enter into an alliance with anyone but will support the opposition to form a government if it wins enough votes.

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Associated Press producer Sophiko Megrelidze contributed to this report