Georgia pro-Western president refuses results; calls for mass protests
3 Min Read
President Zourabichvili says she does not recognize the results of Saturday's parliamentary elections and alleged Russian involvement.
-
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili attends an opposition rally ahead the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, on October 20, 2024. (AP)
Georgia's President Salome Zourabichvili has opposed the outcome of Saturday's national parliamentary election and urged citizens to join protests against the final results, which showed that the Georgian Dream party secured 54% of the vote, while other opposition groups received between 3% and 11%.
The president claimed earlier that the vote was secured by what she called "European Georgia," despite alleged "attempts to rig elections". She held a series of meetings on Sunday with various opposition parties.
Other pro-Western opposition groups, including the Unity-National Movement (UNM) and the Coalition for Change, announced on the same day that they would not participate in the new parliament, as they too do not recognize the election results. The leaders of these parties accused Georgian Dream of "stealing the country's European future" and even alleged that they staged a "constitutional coup."
The president, in what was described as an "emergency briefing," announced her decision to not recognize the voting results.
President says she is 'only independent institution left'
Zourabichvili condemned the vote as a "total fraud" and characterized it as akin to "Russian elections." She asserted that Georgia had become a "victim of a Russian special operation, a new form of hybrid warfare directed against our people and our country."
The president described herself as "the only independent institution left in this state." She called on her fellow Georgians to participate in protests on Monday evening "to demonstrate to the world that we do not recognize this election."
The politician was born in Paris and worked for the French Foreign Ministry for many years, including serving as France’s ambassador to Georgia. She obtained Georgian citizenship in 2004 and was quickly promoted to the position of foreign minister, a role she held for approximately a year.
"I did not come to this country for this," Zourabichvili stated, referring to the election results, which she described as "Georgia’s submission to Russia."
According to Georgian law, a straightforward majority of 76 votes is required to select the next prime minister and cabinet. Mamuka Mdinaradze, chairman of Georgian Dream, stated that his party could secure up to 90 of the 150 seats in the national assembly after the vote.
In response to Zourabichvili’s remarks, Mdinaradze added, "Georgia no longer has a president; it has an agent, a leader of the radical opposition."
Georgian Dream achieves parliamentary majority
On Sunday, Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, achieved a significant victory in the country's legislative elections, signaling strong public support for their commitment to sovereignty and cautious approach to EU alignment.
"Georgia’s future lies in our hands, not in the dictates of distant bureaucrats. This victory shows our people’s commitment to preserving our sovereignty and cultural heritage," Bidzina Ivanishvili, Founder of Georgian Dream, told reporters.
Led by the influential Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream has argued that Georgia must focus on balanced policies that maintain the country’s independence, free from pressures that have drawn other nations into the complications of EU membership.
Georgian Dream’s supporters see this win as a defense against the EU’s overreach, noting that Georgia’s future rests on cooperation without losing its cultural and political identity.
