Georgia votes: dream or fraud? Protests after the government's election victory!

Georgia votes: dream or fraud? Protests after the government's election victory!

The elections in Georgia caused excitement! According to the election commission, the ruling party Georgian Dream has won the parliamentary election, while the pro-Western opposition protested and described the vote as "unconstitutional coup". With over 54 percent of the vote, based on more than 99 percent of the counted election gymnasts, the party 89 out of 150 seats has secured in parliament, but not the absolute majority that would be necessary for far -reaching constitutional changes.

The opposition, which received over 37 percent of the vote, speaks of electoral fraud. Tina Bokuchava, the leader of the United National Movement (UNM), accused the government of “stealing” the election. “This is an attempt to steal Georgia’s future,” she shouted, declaring that UNM does not recognize the results. Nika Gvaramia from the Ahali party also described the election as an “unconstitutional coup” and predicted that Georgian Dream would not remain in power.

Protests and violence at the ballot box

The elections were marred by reports of violence and intimidation at the ballot box. Georgia's pro-opposition President Salome Zurabishvili spoke of "deeply worrying incidents" at some polling stations. A video circulating on social media shows a man stuffing multiple ballots into a ballot box while wrestling with poll workers. A local watchdog group called for the results to be annulled but failed to provide comprehensive evidence of vote fraud.

The founder of Georgian Dream, the withdrawn billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, celebrated the election victory and praised the "talents of the Georgian people". His party has strongly presented himself in rural areas with up to 90 percent of the votes. Ivanishvili propagates a narrative about a "global party" that Georgia wants to move into the Ukraine conflict. While the EU has put the membership of Georgia on hold due to the “authoritarian” tendencies of the Georgian Dream, the political situation remains tense and the future of the country is uncertain.