Georgian Dream Party secures win after results recount
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The Georgian Central Election Commission confirmed the ruling Georgian Dream party’s victory in the October 26 elections.
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Protesters with Georgian flags rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. (AP)
The Georgian Central Election Commission approved Saturday the final results of the October 26 parliamentary elections, with the ruling Georgian Dream party securing 53.93% of the vote and 89 seats in parliament.
The approval came amid protests from pro-Western opposition members who refused to accept the election results.
The meeting was briefly interrupted when an opposition politician threw black paint at CEC Chairman Giorgi Kalandarishvili.
Davit Kirtaidze, member of the @UNMGeorgia, poured black paint on Giorgi Kalandarishvili, chair of the Central Elections Commission.
— Anna Gvarishvili (@AnnaGvarishvili) November 16, 2024
The CEC will publish the final protocols today and officially certify the disputed election results. #GeVote2024 pic.twitter.com/guZdhXUDjp
This came after the opposition had demanded a recount of the election results.
Georgia pro-Western president refuses results; calls for mass protests
Formerly, on October 28, two days after the election, Georgia's President Salome Zourabichvili opposed the outcome of the national parliamentary election and urged citizens to join protests against the final results, which concluded 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.
On October 29, opposition parties in Georgia demanded a new, internationally-supervised vote.
According to local reports, they have threatened to reject the parliamentary mandates won by their candidates, claiming that the ruling Georgian Dream party manipulated the election outcome to secure its majority.
In response to growing discontent, Georgian election officials have announced a recount of ballots at five randomly selected polling stations in each district. This recount, set to begin in the capital Tbilisi on Tuesday evening and extend to other regions, aims to address accusations of misconduct.
According to the Central Election Commission, authorized observers will oversee the process to ensure transparency. It is important to note that many have accused the West of attempting a Color Revolution in Georgia.
Read more: Georgia ruling party chief stresses commitment to state interests
