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Clashes in Tbilisi as Georgia Detains 16 Protesters Over Disputed Election Results

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Protests Escalate in Georgia Amid Election Dispute

Police in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, detained 16 people on Tuesday following clashes with protesters who have been demonstrating against the results of last month’s parliamentary election. The opposition and President Salome Zourabichvili, a critic of the ruling party, allege that the October 26 election was rigged.

Video footage from the scene showed police forcibly removing protesters, with some being thrown to the ground and dragged along the pavement, while officers used pepper spray at close range. Georgia’s Interpress news agency reported that 16 individuals were detained, with three later released.

Ongoing Protests and Allegations of Fraud

The unrest follows several protests since the election, in which the ruling Georgian Dream party secured a fourth term in power. Opposition leaders have vowed to continue daily demonstrations to prevent the newly elected parliament from convening later this month. These protests are fueled by accusations that Georgian Dream, led by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, is pro-Russian, undermining Georgia’s pro-Western aspirations.

Protesters, including members of the Coalition for Change, erected tents and blocked major streets in Tbilisi, where they remained for two nights before being dispersed by police on Tuesday. The interior ministry confirmed that protesters had illegally blocked traffic, but did not provide details on the detentions. Several opposition figures reported arrests, with some also suffering injuries. A cameraman from the opposition channel Mtavari Arkhi was also detained.

Election Controversy and International Reactions

The election commission officially confirmed Georgian Dream’s victory on Saturday, with the party securing 54% of the vote. However, opposition-backed U.S. pollsters have disputed the result, claiming the outcome is statistically implausible. The election’s legitimacy is being further questioned by international observers. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) noted reports of ballot-stuffing, voter intimidation, and bribery but did not assert that the election was outright stolen.

The election was seen as a pivotal moment for Georgia, offering voters a choice between deeper integration with Europe under the opposition or closer ties with Russia under the Georgian Dream government. Critics of Georgian Dream warn that its increasing authoritarianism could derail Georgia’s aspirations to join the European Union.

Georgia PM Dismisses Vote-Rigging Claims Amid Mass Rally Call

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Georgia’s Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, has hailed his party’s recent electoral victory as a “landslide,” vehemently rejecting allegations of vote-rigging and violence that have emerged in the wake of the elections. Speaking to the BBC, he acknowledged that “irregularities happen everywhere,” but maintained that the elections were conducted fairly.

Election Results and Allegations

Preliminary results from the Georgian election commission show the ruling Georgian Dream party secured an outright majority of 54%. This is despite exit polls from opposition media indicating victories for four opposition parties. In contrast, President Salome Zourabichvili, a pro-Western leader, condemned what she described as “total falsification” of the electoral process and has called for a rally by opposition supporters outside parliament on Monday.

Election observers have suggested that various voting violations could have influenced the results. However, Kobakhidze asserted that incidents were limited to a “couple of precincts” out of 3,111 polling stations.

Concerns Over Authoritarianism

Georgia’s political climate has grown increasingly authoritarian under Georgian Dream, which has enacted laws reminiscent of those in Russia, targeting media, NGOs receiving foreign funding, and the LGBT community. As a result, the European Union has frozen Georgia’s bid for membership, citing “democratic backsliding.”

In a notable reaction, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban congratulated Georgian Dream on its fourth term and plans to visit Georgia soon, a move that may raise eyebrows in Brussels.

Calls for Investigation

In a statement following the elections, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, emphasized the need to address the “alleged irregularities” and called for an independent investigation. Kobakhidze responded, acknowledging that election irregularities should be investigated but maintained that the overall conduct of the elections adhered to legal principles.

The opposition, which secured 61 seats in the 150-seat parliament, has refused to recognize the results, accusing Georgian Dream of stealing the election. Two major opposition parties, the Coalition for Change and United National Movement, have declared they will boycott parliament.

Claims of Foreign Interference

President Zourabichvili has stated that the election cannot be recognized and has accused Russia of meddling in the process. Kobakhidze, however, refuted claims that his government is pro-Russian, insisting that the opposition’s narrative is a tactic to undermine the government’s reputation among Georgia’s largely pro-European populace.

Despite Russian commentators welcoming Georgian Dream’s win as a potential shift towards Moscow, Kobakhidze emphasized that Georgia remains the only country in its region without diplomatic ties to Russia, a situation rooted in the ongoing occupation of 20% of its territory since the 2008 war.

Election Monitoring Reports

The introduction of an electronic vote-counting system during these elections was touted by Kobakhidze as a safeguard against manipulation. However, monitoring groups reported a range of violations, including bribery, intimidation, and ballot-stuffing, suggesting that the election results do not accurately reflect the will of the Georgian electorate. Per Eklund, a former EU ambassador and member of the National Democratic Institute delegation, noted that the pre-election environment severely undermined the democratic process, with voter intimidation reported both leading up to and on election day.

As the situation unfolds, the political landscape in Georgia remains tense, with the ruling party and opposition locked in a battle over the legitimacy of the electoral process.