Tens of thousands of people are rallying in Georgia to denounce parliamentary elections they say were rigged

TBILISI, Georgia — Tens of thousands of Georgians gathered outside parliament on Monday evening, demanding the annulment of last weekend’s parliamentary elections which the president claims was manipulated with Russia’s help.

The rally underlined tensions in the country, which lies between Russia and Turkey, where the ruling Georgian Dream party has become increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow. However, it ended peacefully after several hours and there were no clear plans for further action.

“You did not lose the elections,” President Salome Zourabichvili told protesters waving flags of Georgia and the European Union. “They stole your vote and tried to steal your future, but no one has the right to do that and you won’t let anyone do that!”

Zourabichvili, a largely ceremonial president, told the crowd she would defend the country’s path towards Europe against actions by Georgian Dream.

“We have no alternative and nothing else, we want to leave this country for the next generations,” she said.

Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Unity National Movement coalition, said the opposition will not participate in talks with the government and will push for a new vote under international supervision.

“We are not going to enter this parliament. We refuse all mandates,” he said. “We do not enter into negotiations. We are going to fight until victory and we promise you that we will definitely win together.”

Zourabichvili told the crowd that “a complete picture must be drawn of how this massive, systematic theft of votes took place,” adding that it was an “unprecedented, pre-planned operation that robbed us of our votes, our parliament and our constitution.” She did not provide specific details or evidence of Russian involvement in vote theft.

Protester Natia Chachava, draped in the Georgian flag, said the demonstrators “don’t want Russia, we don’t want to go back to Russia or back to the Soviet Union.”

Student Lana Togonidze, 20, said she hoped the West “will see that the Georgian people do not support this government, we hope that they will not recognize these elections as legitimate, and that they will not validate this government.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have great hopes,” Andro Dadiani said, speaking about whether the protests could bring about change, but adding that he felt he had to fulfill his civic duties and be present.

Zourabichvili, who has rejected the official results, previously told The Associated Press that Georgia has fallen victim to Russian pressure against joining the EU.

“We have seen Russian propaganda being used directly,” said Zourabichvili, a fierce critic of Georgian Dream. She said the government has “worked hand in hand with Russia” and “probably” received help from Moscow’s security services.

The US and the European Union have urged a full investigation into the outcome of Saturday’s election.

“Georgians, like all Europeans, must be masters of their own destiny,” said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

The Central Election Commission said Georgian Dream received 54.8% of the votes and almost all ballots had been counted. The party – founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia – has passed laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down freedom of expression And LGBTQ+ rights.

Protesting is the only way Georgians can “express that their votes have been stolen, that their future has been stolen,” Zourabichvili told the AP.

She said she hopes the US and EU will support the demonstrations.

“We need the strong support of our European partners, of our American partners,” Zourabichvili said, adding that it was in the interest of “a powerful Europe” to be present in the Caucasus and to keep the region stable.

Asked whether she would impose sanctions on Georgian officials, Zourabichvili told AP that it is up to Western leaders, but that “certainly the time has not come to renew relations with authorities that are not legitimate at the moment.”

US officials called on Georgia to repeal authoritarian legislation, address electoral shortcomings and move Georgia towards Europe.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Georgia’s elections were “shaped by the ruling party’s policies, including misuse of public funds, vote buying and voter intimidation.”

He said the US has consistently urged the Georgian government to “roll back” its anti-democratic actions and said “we cannot rule out further consequences.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a full investigation into all reports of election-related violations, as did European Commission spokeswoman Nabila Massrali, who said the Georgian Dream campaign was “directly inspired” by Russian propaganda and that there were “unprecedented levels of disinformation”. ”

The Kremlin has rejected the accusations of interference.

“We do not interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs, nor do we intend to interfere,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He countered that it was the West that had tried to influence the vote.

Asked about Zourabichvili’s call for Georgians to join the protests, he described it as an attempt to destabilize the country.

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, a member of Georgian Dream, accused the president of creating “a coup scenario” that is “contrary to the constitutional order and democratic elections.”

The EU has indefinitely suspended Georgia’s membership application process over a Russian-style move “Foreign Influence Act” June is over. Many Georgians saw Saturday’s vote as a crucial referendum on the possibility of joining the EU.

The election campaign in the country of 3.7 million, which borders Russia, was marked by a bitter battle for votes and accusations of a smear campaign. European observers said the elections took place in a “divisive” environment, marked by intimidation and instances of vote-buying, double voting and physical violence.

During the campaign, Georgian Dream used “anti-Western and hostile rhetoric… promoted Russian disinformation, manipulations and conspiracy theories,” said Antonio López-Istúriz White, head of the European Parliament monitoring delegation.

Election observers said cases of intimidation and other violations were particularly noticeable in rural areas.

Georgian Dream scored the highest share of votes – almost 90% – in the Javakheti region of southern Georgia. In the capital, it did not receive more than 44% in any district.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, a member of Georgian Dream, described his party’s success as “impressive and obvious,” and that “any attempt to talk about election manipulation… is doomed to failure.”

Early figures showed turnout was one of the highest since Georgian Dream first gained control of parliament in 2012. The party has pledged to continue pushing for EU accession, but also wants to “reset” ties with Georgia’s former imperial master, Russia. In 2008, Georgia fought and lost a brief war with Moscow, which subsequently recognized the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions and strengthened its military presence there.

European Council President Charles Michel urged Georgian officials to “promptly, transparently and independently investigate” election irregularities and said Georgian Dream must show its “firm commitment” to the EU.

Hungary’s Victor Orbán, the first foreign leader to congratulate Georgian Dream, arrived on Monday for a two-day visit to Georgia.

Zourabichvili said he was a “special friend” of Georgian Dream and dismissed his visit as a “political play.”

Orban has “no mandate from the EU Council” to visit Georgia, Massrali said on behalf of the EU.

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Associated Press journalists Sophiko Megrelidze in Tbilisi and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.