Representatives of Georgian opposition parties and their supporters are holding a rally in Tbilisi against the results of the parliamentary elections, which were won by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
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The opposition initially gathered in several locations in Tbilisi, after which they began a procession along the central avenues of the capital. The final stop is Rustaveli Avenue in front of the country’s parliament.
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Oppositionists announced the beginning of a series of protests, which, according to them, will take place daily in different places in the capital. The opposition demands, in particular, to declare the voting results invalid and call new elections.
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Parliamentary elections in Georgia took place on October 26. According to the Central Election Commission, the ruling Georgian Dream party, which advocates maintaining relations with Russia and against anti-Russian sanctions, received 53.93% of the votes. Four opposition parties also entered parliament, receiving a total of 37.78%. Opposition representatives have already stated that they do not recognize the CEC data. Special Coordinator of the short-term OSCE mission Pascal Alizar noted the good organization of the elections in Georgia, while stating a number of violations recorded by observers.
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The President of the Republic, Salome Zurabishvili, who helps the pro-European opposition, despite the fact that according to the constitution the president must be non-partisan, after the elections called on her fellow citizens to protest because of the voting results.
The president has repeatedly asserted that there is a ton of “evidence” that the entire election process was allegedly rigged. For her statements, Zurabishvili was summoned for questioning by the Georgian prosecutor’s office in a case of possible election fraud, and she was expected to receive materials proving her words. However, the president refused to testify and did not appear at the department.
