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Political crisis looms for republic of Georgia after disputed election

TBILISI, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 26: Georgian billionaire and founder of the Georgian Dream Party Bidzina Ivanishvili (C) speaks to the media after casting his vote during Georgian Elections Day on October 26, 2024 in Tbilisi, Georgia. Georgians are voting on October 26, in a close parliamentary election that analysts say will likely determine whether or not the post-Soviet nation will take a step closer to membership in the European Union (EU). An opposition coalition is challenging the Georgian Dream ruling party, which has been in power since 2012 under the leadership of Bidzina Ivanishvili. The vast majority of Georgians are in favor of joining the EU, however the country's bid to become a member of the bloc was frozen earlier this year, following concerns over the "foreign agents" bill passed in May, which critics say represents a backslide for democracy. (Photo by Diego Fedele/Getty Images) (Diego Fedele)
By Ivan Nechepurenko New York Times

TBILISI, Georgia – Georgia, a strategically located republic at the center of the Caucasus, plunged into political crisis Sunday as the ruling party celebrated victory in a pivotal election that the pro-Western opposition declared as falsified, vowing to boycott the new parliament.

The shaky situation further polarized a political struggle between Georgian Dream, which has governed Georgia for 12 years, increasingly steering it away from its decadeslong path to join NATO and the European Union, and the four political groups that aim to keep it moving toward the West.

The crisis will likely push Georgia further away from the West. On Sunday, shortly after the results were announced, European observers condemned the conduct of the election.

Critical violations included violence against opposition members, voter intimidation and smear campaigns targeting observers, said Zlatko Vujovic, the head of the observation mission of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations.

The Election Administration of Georgia, the body that oversees elections in the country, reported Sunday that the ruling party had garnered nearly 54% of the vote, with the four main opposition groups receiving 37.5%. The four opposition groups were unanimous in saying that they did not recognize the election as legitimate. Two said they would not enter Parliament, setting the stage for a prolonged political crisis. They did not provide evidence for their allegations.

Speaking on Sunday night, President Salome Zourabichvili of Georgia, who is the ceremonial head of state, said the election was “a total falsification, a total stealing of votes.”

“We witnessed and were victims of a real special operation conducted by Russia – a new type of hybrid warfare was waged against our people,” Zourabichvili said in her presidential palace, surrounded by leaders of the opposition.

She called on her supporters to protest Monday night on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue, the city’s main thoroughfare. But it was not clear the true extent of popular support for the opposition’s statements. The city’s streets have remained calm, and there have been no large-scale protests since the election results were announced.

Zourabichvili and opposition leaders did not provide any specific evidence to back up their allegations of mass violations during the voting, but promised to do so.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.