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Electoral fraud influenced by Russia is what the opposition accused the ruling party, Georgian Dream, of after securing around 54% of the vote according to official results. Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside, alleging vote-rigging by the governing party.
Only 88 members of Georgian Dream attended the 150-seat parliament’s first meeting, as opposition parties refused to participate. Georgian Dream has vehemently denied claims of electoral irregularities.
Police are blocking streets around the Georgian Parliament as protesters gather, preparing to stay overnight.
The demonstrations and election watchdogs consider tomorrow’s first parliamentary session illegitimate due to widespread claims of election rigging. pic.twitter.com/abUUJDSOM1
— OC Media (@OCMediaorg) November 24, 2024
President Salome Zourabichvili, whose role is largely ceremonial, did not attend the session, labeling the parliament “unconstitutional” due to evidence of electoral fraud. She has filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court, arguing that the principles of vote secrecy and universality were violated.
“Whenever a country has an election, and the outcome is not the one wanted by the US Govt. and this German EU fascist [EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen], they immediately proclaim there was election fraud,” stated Glenn Greenwald.
Protesters banging on the metal fence outside parliament as MPs from the ruling party Georgian Dream are being sworn in inside the parliament. #Georgia #Tbilisiprotests pic.twitter.com/IzbguHztbo
— rayhan demytrie (@rayhandemytrie) November 25, 2024
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán commented, “Debates about elections in Europe should not be taken seriously. When liberals win, Brussels talks about democracy, but when conservatives win, there is supposedly no democracy. This is commonplace.”
The European Union indefinitely suspended Georgia’s membership application process in June after the parliament passed a law requiring organizations receiving over 20% of funding from abroad to register as “pursuing the interest of a foreign power,” similar to a Russian law used to discredit critical organizations.
